Summer Devotionals

holy spirit The summer is finally here! No more 8 am classes, all-nighters, or pop quizzes. It has been an awesome year growing in intellect and faith. The summer is a unique time. For some it involves internships and cubicles. For others, flipping burgers and mopping floors. And for some of us it’s heading off to work as camp counselors or going on mission trips. The summer is time to relax, to get away from the pressures of school, and to maybe try something new. Our prayer for each and every one of you is that whatever you’re doing, wherever you may be, that you will continue to grow in your relationship with the Lord. To help motivate you, we’ve compiled this devotional written by the greatest authors we know—YOU! Our vision is that, despite not physically being together, we will all stay connected throughout the summer in thought and prayer. Use this devotional as encouragement. Use it as a way to stay connected with the movement at Miami. Pray for the movement and the ministry on campus as you delve into God’s Word each day. Think about what God has in store for you and your personal ministry for the upcoming year. We are so excited to see all of you next school year. We are excited to see what God teaches you over the summer and what vision he places on your hearts for the upcoming year. So, enjoy the cook outs, slip-and-slides and summer jobs. See you in August when you come back refreshed and ready to take this campus by storm for the glory of Jesus Christ!

may 7, 2007

Read Acts 1:8 This verse tells us three significant things about the person of the Holy Spirit. First, that the Holy Spirit first comes on us and then gives us power. The second, that we cannot receive anything from the Holy Spirit without receiving the actual Holy Spirit. And finally, that our response to the Holy Spirit’s power is telling others about Christ and be witnesses to the ends of the earth. Ok, well I am a college student, what does it mean for the Holy Spirit to come on me and to receive power in my life, here at Miami University? This is different for every single person and often manifests itself in ways we would never expect. Read Ephesians 3:19-21 This verse from Ephesians expresses the nature of our unique and impressive empowerment. It begins by being receptive to being used and empowered by the Holy Spirit. I want to stress the weight placed in these verses because when we allow the Holy Spirit to work through us, we are giving up our control and letting God work His wonders through our earthly beings. This process generally exceeds our comprehension and expectations to yield His greater plan. It is tempting to limit God’s power by taking control of a situation and forcing it to fit our understanding rather than trusting God to reach the destination of His plan. Instead, think how God wants to use you at Miami University and to accept the Holy Spirit’s power as you let Him guide your walk with Him. Why do I sometimes refuse to receive power from the Holy Spirit? When am I tempted to not trust God to be in complete control? What will it take to be willing to accept the Holy Spirit’s power even when the process seems difficult?

may 8, 2007

grace

I Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.” Let’s pretend that God is a professor who catches you cheating. Instead of failing you, he asks you to be his TA—to continue learning from Him, but also to teach others. In this God-as-professor analogy, the professor sees what the cheaters can be – a student who not only learns, but also teaches others. He does not say the cheating is okay, instead He tells the cheater to stop, and to enter into a new identity. This act of grace empowers the student to offer this same grace to others. That is why the grace of the professor does not prove in vain. The professor works through his TAs to ensure that everyone in his classes gets the chance to hear and understand what he is teaching. Just like the TAs, we don’t have the know-how to teach the class on our own—even if we study the Bible and do all the right things, God always know more. Paul, the writer, wrote that he, himself, had labored more than anyone else, yet it wasn’t he who was laboring, but the grace of God. Instead, God offers us the power to live our identity through His power, His ability to teach. That is what God’s grace is intended to do for each of us—to make us God’s TAs.

god’s character

may 9, 2007

Deuteronomy 31:8 At this time, Moses is 120 years old and is dying. He is speaking to Joshua in front of all of Israel, whom he has lead for generations and is now handing over this responsibility. Joshua will lead the Israelites across the Jordan and into the Promised Land. My first thoughts are that this is a tremendous responsibility! From Joshua’s point of view I would be thinking, “But you are Moses! How am I supposed to take your place?” Well, a perfectly timed reassurance is in verse 8 (above). Moses is reminding Joshua and all of Israel that while he (Joshua) might be leading them, God will be the one in front of the pack! Moses tells the Israelites in Deut. 31:3, “The Lord your God himself will cross over ahead of you.” This verse is a reminder to me of God’s trustworthy and faithful character. If the Israelites can trust that God will lead them, we can trust Him to lead us too. Just before Moses gives these words to Joshua, he also gives the Israelites a guiding command. He says, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deut. 31:6) Since we live in a fallen world, we are bound to face trials and heartache in this life. The good news is that not only will God be there for us and strengthen us through those times of difficulty, but He literally goes before us. Sometimes this is hard for me to comprehend. Does God really know how I feel right now? Or how does he expect me to handle this? Well the truth of the matter is that God does know how you feel. He came to this sinful and fallen world to die for us and through that He knows our pain first hand. So remember when we feel like we’re given a task too big to tackle, He will be right there with you, and if you let him He’ll even carry you!

may 10, 2007

faith

Philippians 1:6 “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” As I rode down to Miami University in the mini-van with my mom last August, about to begin my senior year, I expressed to her some of my worries about life after college. I talked about how I didn’t know where I would live, what I would be doing, or who would be around me after May. She listened carefully, and then said to me, “Sweetheart, I understand how you are feeling, but remember: the LORD has taken care of you for twenty-two years and He’s not going to drop you in May.” My mom’s advice was given a bit in tongue and cheek, but she definitely hit on a valuable point we often miss as Christians. Paul is writing to the church of Philippi as a prisoner in Rome, which gives his words in chapter one, verse six even more gravity. Despite the rather ominous circumstances that Paul finds himself in, he still offers the Philippians encouragement, reminding them about God’s faithfulness. He states, with confidence, that God is constantly refining the faith of His followers. Paul notes that it was God who started working in our lives, developing us as Christ followers. More exciting, Paul assures us that God will continue to have His hand in our lives until Jesus Christ comes back to take us home. If Paul, a man who was faced with an ambiguous imprisonment, can write these words with assurance from his very own prison cell, how much more can we take confidence that our Father is a God deserving of unceasing trust? Even when we are headed into undefined territory, like my leaving Miami, we can trust our God is faithful and His promises hold always true. Like my mom gently reminded me last August, our God is not going to “drop” us.

humility/service

may 11, 2007

1 Peter 5:5-7 “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” I learned about Christian humility at summer camp when I was thirteen and it has been a constant learning process for me ever since. My counselors at camp taught us the camp’s most important saying: “I’m Third”, meaning “God first, others second, and I’m third”, to remind us to be humble and serve others. Many demands are placed on us everyday to have the highest GPA or the best reputation and forget about others- they are only competition. But Christians are called to be like Jesus. Jesus could have stayed nice and comfortable up there in heaven where he wouldn’t have had to deal with us foolish people here on earth and fix our messed up lives. But He came down in human form and died the death of a criminal just because He loves us (Phil. 2:5-8). As humans it’s impossible for us to have this kind of love and humility, but the Holy Spirit will work through us when we realize we can’t do this on our own. We need to lay down our pride in our grades or relationships and realize that apart from Jesus we can do absolutely NOTHING (John 15- read it!). When we give ourselves fully and humbly over to the will of God we will conquer pride and stand excitedly before Him ready to do His work. Remember to put yourself third today and get ready for the adventure God has in store.

may 12, 2007

purity

Ephesians 2:19-22 “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” You may be wondering what this passage has to do with purity, but by the end of this devotional you will see how this passage spurs us on towards, hopefully, an intense pursuit of purity in all we do. It all came together when I thought to myself, “why does Paul use the image of believers being built into a temple?” (vs 22) You see, in the Old Testament God’s presence dwelt in something called the Ark of the Covenant. This ark was placed in the inner most room of the temple called the Holy of Holies. Only the high priest was able to enter the Holy of Holies once a year to make atonement for all the people’s sins. Common people were forbidden to enter it. The Old Testament records that once, while the Jews were crossing a river carrying the Ark of the Covenant on a plaque type thing, it started to tip over and someone reached out to catch it, touched it, and died instantly because they were so unworthy to touch the presence of God. Whoa! Compare this to the fact that now a days, when a person trusts in Jesus Christ for the penalty of their sins, God sends the Holy Spirit to indwell that person (Rom 8:9). It’s almost incomprehensible to think that the very presence and Spirit that dwelt in the Ark of the Covenant now dwells in you! So when we sin, or pursue ungodly things, we are literally dragging Christ through it with us. If that’s not a compelling fact to make us pursue purity, I don’t know what is!

identity

may 13, 2007

“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ…” -Romans 8:16-17a, ESV (emphasis added) Too often in life we fall into the trap of running the endless race of property and privilege to be won. We seek better clothes, newer technologies, bigger cars, popularity, and endless other items, in an attempt to establish our identity within them. We want the biggest, best, and coolest things to represent us so that we, in turn, look good ourselves. While that’s not necessarily a bad thing intrinsically, we have to realize that we cannot hope to find our identity in these things, for if we do then our identity will be destroyed in the end along with all of these perishable items and ideas (Matthew 6:19). For those of us who have entered into a personal saving relationship with Jesus Christ, Scripture affirms that we are heirs with Christ to a kingdom far greater than anything we can even imagine here on earth. We will have no need for fancy earthly possessions once we enter into the glorious presence of our Father, yet we slip into the line of thinking that they matter so much here on earth when they really don’t. In fact, it is the poor who are blessed (Matthew 5:3); those who have little are the ones chosen to be rich in faith (James 2:5). Unless it is for the Kingdom, nothing we possess holds any lasting value (Ecclesiastes 1:2-3). I encourage you today to stay focused on the future, to remember that we are children and heirs of God, that our identity is in Him and that we have far more to look forward to than that by which we become ensnared here on earth.

may 14, 2007

perseverance

“To Persevere, to be lacking in nothing” To Persevere: “To persist in or remain constant to a purpose, idea, or task in the face of obstacles” - from the American Heritage Dictionary James 1:2-12 James talks of a perseverance that isn’t just for the sake of persevering. The type of perseverance he speaks of is for a purpose -- a purpose that involves our lives becoming more complete, our very character more mature. How often, though, do we enter a trial of “many kinds” and simply wait for it to be over? Yes, it may be teaching us something, but life will sure seem easier and better when we can see the way out of it. What if we however, embraced the trial and though the way out may be what we hope for, we’re able to endure and yes even take joy in what is being produced in us through the trial. Not the type of joy that is written all over our faces, but a joy that resides deep inside of us that engages IN the trial because we know that the maturity that is being produced in us is actually making us more complete. What love and grace of our God to take us through hard things to actually make us more like Him. I don’t want the trials of my life to last long, and I’d prefer God to reach down and take me out of them, but I’m learning that He actually wants to walk with me through them more then just pull me out. The greatest intimacy I have experienced with the Lord thus far has been when He has walked with me through the darkest valleys, where He’s taught me how to stay the course, to keep my eyes fixed on Him and HIS WAYS of refining me and not on when the end of the trial will come. What trials of “many kinds” are you facing today, big or small? Are you embracing them or merely looking to the end? In what ways might the Lord want to shift the way you respond to trials?

discipleship

may 15, 2007

As we read the New Testament we see that the Spiritfilled life should be the norm for every Christian. It is the way that we are to live: as children of God under the control and influence of the Holy Spirit. In these two Scriptures we see that there is a very close relationship to the Word-filled life and the Spirit-filled life. Paul writes these two books at about the same time in his ministry to two different audiences. He gives them two different commands with basically the same results, showing that Paul had virtually the same idea in his mind. Thus, you can not separate the two and claim the Spirit-filled life is one thing and the Word filled life is something else entirely. Letting the Word of God fill your mind and the spirit of God control your heart are companion concepts. In light of this, teaching on the Spirit-filled life should include a heavy emphasis on the Word of God. In fact the Spirit of God uses the Word of God to produce in us the Spirit filled life and produce His sanctifying work within us. The commands, the examples, and the warnings in Scripture all become tools in the hands of the Holy Spirit by which He molds us into the kind of people He wants us to be. So when you neglect Bible study you are, in essence, robbing the Holy Spirit of His most powerful tool to work in your life. Listen to the secret of Ezra’s life For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel. (Ezra 7:10) Study, practice, teach. That was the commitment to which Ezra set his heart during his lifetime. To take in the Word, live out the Word, pass on the Word. It is no wonder why he had a huge impact the life of the nation of Israel. Have you ever made a determined commitment to become serious student of God’s Word? If not make this commitment now. Pray to God, telling him that you desire to be a man or woman of His Word. Ask Him to increase your appetite for Scripture. Confess your neglect of the Bible. Make this a constant priority in your prayer life.

For further study: List what the Word of God will do as you read Psalm 119.

may 16, 2007

trials/brodenness

eternal perspective

may 17, 2007

Read Psalm 51

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

What comes to mind when you think of brokenness? Brokenness is defined as ruptured, torn, or fractured. I’m here to tell you that we are to live as broken people and embrace the areas of brokenness in our life. The question is then, why should we? What good can come from embracing the torn or fractured areas of our lives? Read Psalm 51. Tell me David isn’t writing this as a truly broken man! In fact, David wrote this immediately after his rendezvous with Bathsheba. This is obviously a low point in the life of the man who is touted as being after God’s own heart. But notice what David says in Psalm 51:17; he says that his sacrifice to God is a broken and contrite heart. David realizes that he has messed up big time and there is nothing he can do but offer his broken heart to God. It is during times of brokenness that we can truly feel and come to an understanding of God’s grace. It is during our times of brokenness that we can learn to live in moment to moment reliance on God. It is during these times that we realize that WE can’t BUT GOD can. We realize that everyday is a miracle because God is in us and we are in Him. And when we rely on God we can never fail. Remember, He will never leave you or forsake you and that you are more than a conqueror in Him. So I ask again, what is so bad with being broken? My answer, nothing at all. It is when we are broken that we can become close to God and be effective agents for his Gospel (Psalm 51:13). So my challenge to you is simple. Embrace brokenness and engage in the broken life of reliance on God. It will be an adventure of a lifetime!

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us and eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” These verses have always been very encouraging, yet at the same time just as challenging. How many times do you catch yourself dwelling on some hardship and pain in your life and let that trouble totally overtake your mind and mood that day or that whole week? We are called to a much greater life where our souls are being renewed every day, all day by our Savior. He does not want us to dwell on our sufferings but to find comfort in the fact that he has given us his Spirit and all the rewards of eternity with the Father. Life is so short. Would it not be better for us to pursue the things that will last for all time and give our lives and struggles to our Lord, than to wrestle with every hardship that comes our way and get discouraged? How would you rather spend your life: in an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ who cares for your every need or in a constant, losing battle that you fight every day? What are some practical ways you can better focus on eternity and not our “light and momentary troubles?”

may 18, 2007

prayer/fasting

Revelation 5:8 “And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” Prayer is one of the driving forces in our relationship with God. However, it’s something that is so often overlooked and unutilized. We have direct access to the thrown of God, and are given promises to that if we call upon Him; He will come to our aide. It’s difficult when we pray and pray, yet feel as if we are speaking into a vacuum. I came across this verse at a time where I felt as if my words and pleas to God were meeting deaf ears. This puts prayer in a completely different perspective. Not only are the words we pray unto God heard, but they are incense presented before the Lord as an offering. In the Old Testament, incense were scents that would be burnt inside the temple and would create a pleasing aroma that would fill the room. So basically, our prayers are that pleasing aroma. This brought back the reality that my prayers are so important to God. This is what creates true intimacy with God as we share our praises, our struggles, our concerns, and our joys with him just as we would with our closest friends. I urge you to, just as Paul says in Ephesians, “Pray without ceasing.” Let’s all believe this summer and pray for God to do things that we could never fathom within our own imagination. We have a new year and a new class of freshman ahead of us to impact, but to see this come to reality we must pray and call upon our Lord to prepare the way for us to do his work.

fellowship

may 19, 2007

1 Timothy 4:12 ”Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” Are you feeling like you have come home for the summer and your family and friends are negatively influencing you and putting you in a spiritual funk? Challenge yourself today to be a light for them. Turn the negative energy and influence they are sending your way into a positive. What can you do today to reach out to them and show them how to walk with the Spirit? What does it look like for you to walk in truth and not be influenced by the ways of this world? As Christians, we are called to be something greater. Don’t let worldly influences affect your Christian integrity—Be something more today. Often our actions speak much greater than any words we can ever say. Are your actions displaying Christ’s ideal image for your life? Challenge yourself to work on one aspect of your life that has been influenced by the world and reflect on your progress at the end of the week. With constant, vigilant effort you can be the example to your family and friends that Christ is calling each and every one of us to be.

may 20, 2007

truth/god’s word

evangelism/witnessing

Psalm 40:9-11

Read John 21:15-19







may 21, 2007



9 I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, as you know, O LORD.

Conviction (noun)- A firmly held belief or opinion; the quality of showing that one is firmly convinced of what he believes or says.



10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly.



11 Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD; may your love and your truth always protect me.

Earlier this semester God really convicted me about sharing my faith by giving me a burden for the people around me who don’t know Him- people who I see every day but have never talked to about the truth of God’s love. When God convicts us or gives us a burden, his intent is not to discourage us, but to spur us on in our walk with him. This conviction should cause us to become so firmly convinced of what we believe and what we value that we live out that belief in each and every moment. As I came to God with the burden I was feeling, he led me to John chapter 21. He spoke to me so clearly through this passage, and I realized that in order to really live out my faith, I must truly know the God I am putting my faith in. Experiencing this intimacy with God requires that I know what is most important to Him, and that I choose to allow that to become what is most important to me as well. In John 21, Jesus asks Peter, “Do you really love me?” When Peter replies that of course he loves Jesus, Jesus responds by saying, “Then feed my sheep.” He asks this question and gives this same response three times in a row, indicating the significance of both the question and the reply. God is saying so clearly here that if we truly love Him, the one thing we are called to do is to bring his love and truth to those who don’t know him. This is the one thing that God cares most deeply about, and as his servants we are called to strive to make our hearts more and more in tune with his. So the question I must ask myself is this: “I say that I love God, but am I truly living according to that love? And if the answer is no, then what is it that keeps me from doing so?”

This Scripture has two main points: 1) If we truly believe the truth (that God is sovereign and Christ is the only way to Him), it will spur us into action. Not busy-body action of being involved in everything that is remotely affiliated with Christianity, but rather the action of making truth known. I am strongly convicted of this: I have the undeniable, all healing, peace giving truth- So how can I not boldly let everyone know? I challenge you throughout today and the rest of the summer to be bold in your faith! 2) It is interesting to note that both times truth is mentioned in the verses above, it is preceded by the word love. We need to remember that God is Truth, all powerful, and unyielding- He always makes this known in love. As we seek to be active and proclaim The Truth, we should first be seeking to love, be humbly giving of ourselves, and pouring into the lives of others so that they might be receptive to the truth, which can set them free.

may 22, 2007

holy spirit

grace

may 23, 2007

Read Galatians 5:16-18

Ephesians 2:1-8

To me, the Holy Spirit always seemed like a vague Christian force, not applying to my everyday life. But I’ve realized He does. For example, the Bible promises that the Holy Spirit helps us understand God, discern His plan for our lives, and make decisions accordingly. What decision are you having to make? Your major? Study abroad? Date someone or not? What to do after graduation? Whatever we are deciding, according to Galatians 5:16-18, we are not to try and satisfy sinful desires, but to live and be guided by the Holy Spirit.

My favorite example of Gods Grace in our lives is in Ephesians 2:1-8. Take time right now to read it. I love how in verse 9 it says “ not by works, so that no one can boast.” Our God is such a wise God and sees that even in his most precious gift to us, the gift of his son, no one can take credit. Our new life is a gift of God. We should humble ourselves when we read this. God’s grace is a gift. He created us to be humbled by that fact and see what a gracious loving God he is. In verse 2:5 it says “ he made us Alive with Christ….” I shout his praises when I read this! We are made vibrant and passionate in Christ new creations to rejoice in the grace we receive. The Subject of God’s grace to us is so vast, and in our lives will never truly understand what a blessing it is to have. It can not compare to any other act of love we have ever experienced… it is insurmountable. God’s grace for us is unfathomable… and that is the best part.

Try to evaluate why you would be making your decisions. How have you made them in the past? Would you be satisfying sinful desires? In making decisions, how does a person live by the Spirit? Living in the Spirit means to rely on Christ alone, not yourself. It means letting the Holy Spirit have control of your mind and heart, actions and decisions. We have the mind of Christ already and He will instruct us (I Corinthians 2:1516). The Bible teaches what the mind of Christ is – one of a servant, of humility, and obedience unto death (Philippians 1:5-9). Acting with a mind like Christ is for God’s glory, and through this God will work out His will for our lives. So, as we face decisions, we should choose what to do with a mind like Christ, and submit everything to Him. He promises to not only show us what to do, but help us carry it out until He returns (Philippians 1:6). It may not be easy, but Christ promises He will be with us every step of the way.

may 24, 2007

god’s character

“For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.”—Psalm 95:3 The Psalmists have such a comprehensive view of God. More than any other book of the Bible, the Psalms present the experience of living with God. The Psalmists are poets pouring out their thoughts about God during all the highs and lows of a life of faith. Check out the end of Psalm 88 (“the darkness is my closest friend”) and the beginning of Psalm 89 (“I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever”). The Psalms read like a private journal. They are less theological and more raw and experiential than any other part of the Bible. Yet, because the Psalms are part of Scripture, they also speak truth—truth about life, truth about us, and truth about God. Psalms 91-99 speak the truth about God’s character. Here, the Psalmists praise the God who is “mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea” (93:4), “robed in majesty” (93:1), “my refuge and my fortress” (91:2). They praise the God who made the sea, formed the dry land, holds the depths of the earth in his hand, and owns the mountain peaks (95:4-6). This is the side of God that is powerful in a beautiful and loving way. And all of that is true of God, and it’s wonderful. But there’s more, there is another side to God that comes through in the Psalms. God reigns armed with strength (93:1). He avenges and pays back to the proud what they deserve (94:1-2). His enemies will perish (92). Read Psalm 97:1-5. We must have a balanced view of God. His character includes both the loving, tender care of our Father and the avenging, jealous, warrior heart of our Savior. Check your view of God’s character today.

faith

may 25, 2007

Jeremiah 29:10-14 Faith is a funny thing. Really, it is. If you think about it, everyone has faith in something: faith that your car will start in the morning, faith that you’ll actually have that test on Thursday, faith there will even be a tomorrow. A good definition of faith is “believing in that which you can’t perceive to be true”. Basically, it’s just knowing that something is true when really you don’t. And how many times do we place our faith in something that lets us down? I mean, sometimes it’s great when we have faith that we have to wake up for our 8 a.m. class, only to find out it’s cancelled, but really that’s not the point. The point is, we all place our faith in things all the time, and many times the things we place our faith in let us down. Knowing this, doesn’t it make sense for us to place our faith in the one thing that will never let us down? More specifically, doesn’t it make sense to place our faith in the One who will never let us down? The Lord spoke through the prophet Jeremiah to tell us all that He won’t let us down, so why not place our faith in Him, rather than the things of this world? Try it today: ask God to give you the faith you need for today, to trust Him with your day. It can be your work, your relationships, your obligations, or anything else. Simply ask that God give you the faith to trust Him to live your life the way He wants it.

may 26, 2007

humility/service

purity

may 27, 2007

Read Matthew 25: 34-40

Romans 6:12-14

Early into my studies at Miami, God began to ignite a passion in my life. It started with an idea, then verbalizing the idea, followed by God placing numerous situations, people and experiences into my life. The situations, people and experiences all had something in common; they were pointing me down a path to serve the least of these- the starving and the poor communities of the world.

When I first became a Christian, I was convicted by the Lord of my sin and began to allow him to cleanse me of it. Of the many characteristics which I was called to become, ‘purity’ stuck out the most. Yet as a new Christian, I thought ‘purity’ was only a reference to sexual immorality. As much as fleeing from sexual sin is a huge part of remaining pure (whether it is external sin through a relationship or internal sin through personal thoughts / physical acts), God calls us to live a life of ‘purity’ in so many other things.

Not everyone is called to the international community, but we are all called to do something whether it is full-time or 5 minutes of your day. The needy person may be a family member, a friend, the homeless person on the street corner, a co-worker, a classmate, a sorority sister, a fraternity brother, a stranger; the lists go on and on. There is a call to everyone. Prayer is one of the best ways to reveal where God wants to direct your talents, and it is a great way to serve others as well. Spend time in prayer today asking God how you can spend your life serving the needy, and pray for the least of these-whoever comes to mind. Think of a community, person, or place you would like to serve? What are some ways you can fill them up- their spirit, physical needs, minds? How can you serve them today and in the future? How can you pray for the world?

Consider this: the world’s definition of “purity” is the condition or quality of being pure; freedom from anything that debases, contaminates, pollutes, etc. Yet purity comes from the Greek words agneia and agnote which mean sinlessness of life, chastity, uprightness of life. Ponder this contrast and ask the Lord to reveal to you the true meaning of purity. Romans 6:12-13 commands believers to remain pure with all parts of our bodies. This includes all physical body parts (eyes, ears, mouth, arms, legs, sexual organs) as well as our mind, heart, and spirit. The world attempts to dirty our pure status by distracting us from focusing on our relationship with God. We cannot expect God to help us remain pure if we are obsessed with the ways of the world, including the successes and glory it offers. Any sin in our lives disconnects us from God and prevents us from growing in his love. Thankfully, he offers grace through Christ (Romans 6:14). I challenge you to examine your WHOLE BEING and determine if you are really living a life of ‘purity.’ It is too easy to become self-righteous once we defeat the obvious sins involved with sexual immorality. Our less visible sin is deeper sin, and I dare you to look for it in your life. Because none of us are perfect, I know you will find something that taints your ‘pure’ image. Therefore, spend time in prayer, asking the Lord to cleanse you and provide you with a pure soul. Then rejoice in the grace we have been given!

may 28, 2007

identity

perserverance

may 29, 2007

1 John 3:1 “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”

Philippians 1:6 “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

Written by the apostle John, this verse makes it pretty clear what our identity is and is not. Our identity is as sons and daughters of God the Father. We are His spoiled children as much as we might not like to think so. Our God has unconditional love for us wherever our lives are at. I know I have had periods of time in my life when few people should have wanted to love me and be my friend. However, my friends and family loved me regardless of my actions and God is the same way, only to an infinitely greater extent. He loves us no matter what type of person we are, and desires for us all to have new life with Him as children of God. He loves us by protecting, teaching, rebuking, and blessing us just like a perfect parent.

Philippians 1:6 is a very encouraging verse for Christians, especially in today’s world. God has an ultimate plan for all of our lives, and in Jeremiah, it is clear that his plan is not to harm us, but to make ourours lives better. He has so many wonderful things in store for us, and He is continually pouring out blessings on our lives. This verse just reminds us that when we asked Jesus into our hearts, He started doing great things in our lives, that and He will never stop doing great things in our lives, and that He uses our circumstances for his glory. This verse is a verse of hope, and it is a great reminder that no matter what goes on in our lives, we need to persevere until the end because God has amazing things in store for us each and everyday.

Secondly, we know our identity is NOT tied to the world. John shows us in the second part of this verse that the world does not even know us, because we are so different from it. If you have friends that wonder why you strive to live a pure and holy life they might not understand, because it goes against everything the world says.

I want to challenge everyone to write this verse somewhere where it will be seen often. Always, and always remember that Christ is working in your favor! We can , and we need to show our love for God by not giving up when things may seem hard, but instead, we should keep going until the end because He has so many more blessings to pour out on our lives when we are walking with Him. Also, remember to keep on praying through the tough times because God does miracles!!

Are there areas of your life that look like the rest of the world? Meditate in prayer and reflection to think how you can change what you are known for, how you think of yourself, and other parts of your identity that could separate you from the fallen world.

may 30, 2007

discipleship

II Timothy 3:10-11,14 (ESV) “You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra -which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me... But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from who you learned it” The Apostle Paul and Timothy had a simple relationship: Timothy followed everything Paul did and Paul let Timothy into his life on such a level that everything Paul was deeply convicted of, Timothy knew, understood, and most likely embraced. Their relationship was built on a mutual trust: That what Timothy was hearing and seeing was sound and correct, and what Paul was teaching and living would be continually lived out by his “beloved [spiritual] child” (II Tim 1:2) and disciple, Timothy. As we think about this as it relates to discipleship within Campus Crusade for Christ, we ought to ask ourselves three questions: Am I living a life worthy of following, of imitating? What do I want those I’m leading or discipling to adopt from my behavior, my convictions, my spiritual values? and Am I involved in the lives of others in such a way they would see how I live out my faith and my convictions? There is no doubt that Timothy heard Paul constantly talk about certain spiritual truths over and over again, he saw Paul imprisoned for faith constantly, he knew of Paul’s continual public teaching to nonbelievers, he heard of Paul’s perpetual love for his own nation, and he experienced Paul’s perseverance in the necessity of the Gospel to go out to all the world. In the same way also, we need to live out what we value the most and take others along as we do it, letting those we lead know the importance of our faith, convictions, and values because they have seen it absolutely evident in our own lives.

trials/brokenness

may 31, 2007

1 Peter 1:6-7 or James 1:2-4 (your choice) I thought I had it all figured out. I was seeking God, asking him for direction, and was fairly confident that I was following where He wanted me. Then I asked him a dangerous request, one I think I asked without really thinking God would answer. “God, would you test me and show me where I don’t measure up?” God loved me enough to answer that request, not in a way that I wanted. I wrote in my journal, “I guess I wasn’t hoping for this test. I didn’t want this test…I don’t think I have it in me to trust You on this so give me the power by your Holy Spirit to trust you. I want to be faithful.” God doesn’t want our half-hearted following and I think testing is his way of tearing away the mask I put on, even the masks I put on as I try to conceal to God how I really feel. That test wasn’t an easy one and I didn’t immediately get down on my knees and thank and praise God for sending me a trial to refine me. In fact, over the next couple days, even months, I had many long, frustrated talks with God. Though at times I gave up, the great thing is that He won’t give up on us. He showed me things in my life that needed to change; I am sure there are a lot more things that I could change so I am pretty sure that I can look forward to more trials. But the thing I can have peace in is that God loves me and is in control and is sending the trials to break me down and build me back into the kind of man He wants me to be, the man I want to become.

june1, 2007

eternal perspective

Heaven, Part I – Are you looking forward to your future home? As I think about heaven, sometimes it’s difficult for me to be excited about it. I have a lot of different questions that pop in my mind: “What do we do there anyway? I don’t know if there is any one thing I could do for an eternity and not get bored. Will heaven be a boring place?” The problem is that we’ve grown to like the place that we live in. It may not be perfect, but all in all, it’s not that bad. We like the food that we eat, we like the mountains, we like the beach, we like playing sports, and we like talking with our friends. And we have heard things about heaven. I’ve heard that we will shed our bodies after we die, that we will fly, and be spirits that hover around God and sing to Him forever, and ever, and ever, and ever… Maybe you love singing, and part of that doesn’t sound so bad to you, but what about the place we left? What about the mountains, climbing trees, playing tennis, good food, and goofing around with friends? What about the things that became such a large part of our identity during our life here on earth? Do we loose that? Do we loose our identity? And of course, we haven’t looked at what God’s Words says about this yet. Let’s always be talking about what God’s Word says instead of what we’ve heard. Today’s devo. is just to read Isaiah 33:20-21 and all of Isaiah 35. Make 5 objective observations about life in this place that the prophet Isaiah describes. For more, Bible-based, in-depth reading on Heaven, see Randy Alcorn’s book, Heaven.

eternal perspective

june 2, 2007

Heaven Part II – Are you looking forward to your future home? Yesterday you read Isaiah 33:20-21 and all of Isaiah 35 and made 5 objective observations about life in this place that the prophet Isaiah describes. This “place” as Isaiah describes it sounds pretty nice, right? “The ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame with leap like dear.” (35:5-6) Observation 1: the people there will not have physical ailments. Hmm, physical ailments? This is interesting, because I’ve heard that we will be bodiless in Heaven. But only physical bodies hear, and only physical bodies leap. Observation 2: There will be a road there. “A highway will be there, a roadway…the redeemed will walk there.” (35:8a,9b) But wait, I thought we will be able to fly. Why would we need road if we can fly? Only physical beings that walk or ride bikes or drive cars need roads. So what does this all mean? In this paradise, you won’t need your contact solution or your knee brace, but you still might need shoes, or a bike. Does that seem funny? Throughout scripture, God’s Word paints a picture of paradise that is not dissimilar to the place that we already live in, only there it is the way that it was meant to be from the beginning. This world, our bodies, along with our faith will be perfected and redeemed. There will be trees, flowers, mountains, cities, rivers, animals, and food to eat (observations from throughout Isaiah). If the Bible describes paradise in such a physical way, why are we so quick to throw away notions that we won’t also do similar things in paradise as we do now? Won’t we play sports together, have long talks, go to the beach, create music, build buildings, and do the things we were created to do in the beginning? Are you looking forward to your future home? God can hardly wait to be with you, and see you face to face. Let’s fix our eyes on the true Heaven, as God’s Word describes it, and live this life in preparation for a life to come.

june 3, 2007

prayer/fasting

fellowship

june 4, 2007

Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you.’” 2 Kings 20: 4-5

Romans 12:9-11 “Don’t just pretend to love others. REALLY love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.”

It is obvious by these verses that Hezekiah, the 13th king of Judah, knew the importance of prayer. At the age of 25, Hezekiah took control of Judah from his unfaithful father Ahaz. As king, he worked to undo the damage of his father by purifying and reopening the temple his father had closed, reinstating priests and their duties, organizing an orchestra to aid worship (I bet Hezekiah would like Reverb!), destroying idols, and reinstituting Passover as a national holiday. Hezekiah was clearly a man who maintained a close relationship with God.

I went to Colorado last summer and I ran up a mountain. After being broken down and torn and put through many obstacles to get there, the only way I was able to do that was by having faith in Christ. The Holy Spirit filled me and was there for me every second of that run and I knew that I could come to him and rely on His hands and feet to carry me. God calls us to have fellowship with Him. That’s the most important part of being a Christian. Once we have fellowship with Him, then we can have even greater fellowship with the people around us and LOVE everyone that we meet. Having fellowship with other Christians makes our walk a wonderful journey in time. So I encourage you to not be lazy and serve the Lord enthusiastically with love and fellowship with others. I also encourage you to encourage others-- just laugh and glorify Him in all you do and by doing this, the friendships we make will be centered around God and we won’t be pretending anything.

In 2 Kings 20:1, Hezekiah is so ill he his near death. Isaiah comes to him and says, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” Not exactly the most uplifting words, are they? Nevertheless, this doesn’t stop Hezekiah from praying to the Lord, weeping bitterly, and reminding Him of his faithful servitude. It is here that the Lord tells Isaiah that He has seen Hezekiah’s tears and heard his prayer. The Lord not only grants Hezekiah fifteen more years of life, but He defends his city from the Assyrians! Even when the circumstances seem impossible, the Lord sees our tears and hears our prayers. How comforting! Whether the Lord answers our prayers in the way we desire, He hears them. With Hezekiah, the Lord knew his track record. He knew his past devotion, and He knew that Hezekiah meant business with his prayer. Next time you really want to pray about something, mean it. Pray it with your heart, soul, and mind. Don’t just make it an item on your checklist. Think about what you are praying... and see what God can do!

june 5, 2007

truth/god’s word

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” “What am I supposed to do?” This question seems to have been the theme of my sophomore year. While I was pretty sure what I was supposed to do on the academic and work fronts, it was the social and spiritual fronts where I felt I had no direction. I knew I was supposed to go to class, do homework, and go to work, but what should I do on the weekends? What should I do in my free time? Unfortunately I often turned to the computer to while away my hours on Facebook and other addicting sites. This passed the time, but it did nothing for me. My life did not have to be like that at all. Paul gives us very clear instruction in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. If I had thought of this verse during my down time, I would have realized that I could look to the Bible to find out “what I was supposed to be doing.” God made the Bible useful, not just a book of abstract rules and thoughts. This passage also suggests one thing we’re supposed to be doing: good works. Our time should be spent focusing on pleasing God, not numbing our minds with TV, the internet, or books. We should be actively searching for what God’s will is, which can be found in His word and by talking with Him; after we know what His will is, we should be doing it. The next time you find yourself wondering “What am I supposed to be doing right now?”, I would encourage you to open your Bible and spend some time with God. He will direct your decisions and actions through His word and His heart as you grow closer to Him.

evangelism/witnessing

june 6, 2007

I feel guilty when I don’t have the courage to share my faith with people around me. The verse about how Jesus will be ashamed of me in front of God the Father if I am ashamed of him in front of people (Luke 9:26) plays in my mind and causes me to start hyperventilating with the feeling that I better speak up about Jesus before the person next to me falls over dead without knowing the truth. It’s comforting to know that I am not the only one that struggles with having enough courage. Paul, the one who wrote half of the New Testament, the one who had his life dramatically changed by God, said, “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.“ Ephesians 6:19-20 So the faith-sharing thing didn’t always come naturally to Paul either. He shows us that it is important to pray for courage. So I can ask God for what I need instead of feeling guilty. Also, the closer I am to God, the easier it will be for me to tell others about him. For example, it’s easy for me to tell people about my wedding planning or my cute little brother. I spend a lot time thinking about the wedding, and I spend as much time with my little brother as I can so I know all the funny things that he says. In the same way, as I spend time with God, it will become more and more natural for me to talk about Him. So spend time with God, talking to him, listening to him, and pray for courage to share your faith. Pray also for your brothers and sisters in Christ that they will have courage. And then start talking! You have the best news in the world!

june 7, 2007

holy spirit

John 14:16-17; Acts 1:8 During the Great Depression, there was a family who lived in Texas. This family was dirt poor and struggling to survive. One day, some inspectors from the state came to their farm and asked to drill for oil. Having nothing to lose, the family agreed, and guess what?

They found oil. Lots of it.

The family became millionaires overnight, and no longer lived a life in which they struggled to survive. Life wasn’t perfect, but now they had all the help they could need. The thing is, the family always owned the oil. They were always millionaires. Sadly, it took them a long time to grab hold of that reality. Because of that they suffered, living apart from who they truly were. The Christian life can be just like that when we don’t grab hold of who we truly are in Christ. Jesus promised that he would send the Holy Spirit to be in us upon His ascension to Heaven. From the time we accept Christ into our hearts, instead of Jesus’ body living in us, He sends the Holy Spirit. The sad thing is, many of us don’t realize that. We try to do life on our own, struggling to survive and live the Christian life apart from Christ, much as the family struggled despite the fact they were really millionaires. It doesn’t have to be a struggle. Sure, life still won’t be perfect. But, with the power of the Holy Spirit, we have Christ living within us, guiding and empowering us to do works far greater than we on our own can do. We only have to ask the Father to fill us with His Holy Spirit as he said he would, and believe by faith that He has given us what He promised.

grace

june 8, 2007

Titus 2:11-12 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.” I love these verses, because it gives the basis for which we can live upright and godly lives. I have been saved by God’s grace, but it does not stop there! The undeserved grace of God that brought salvation also works powerfully in me to teach me how to live. In the past, this verse stuck out at me as I was struggling with saying ‘no’ to ungodly thought patterns and belief systems that kept haunting my mind. Titus 2:14 goes on to describe Jesus as our great God and Savior, “who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people who are his very own, eager to do what is good.” I want the knowledge of God’s grace – the undeserved gift of salvation and the Holy Spirit’s empowering, to catapult me into the pursuit of the God! It both excites and humbles me that I can come to know the one who gave Himself for me, and who calls me His own. He is the one who has redeemed me from all wickedness, and who will bring about purification for His own glory. Recently, the topic of God’s grace has kept coming up in my life, and verses like the one in Titus has helped remind me that God’s grace is not an excuse for me to live my life how I want, but rather is an amazing, undeserved gift in my life that both teaches and empowers me to live a godly life in this present day and age.

june 9, 2007

god’s character

When we are defeated, we know to turn to God for comfort and care. However, there is another side to God that is sometimes overlooked; a side of God that is active and strong and fierce. As John Eldridge writes in The Way of the Wild at Heart, “Our God is a warrior, mighty and terrible in battle, and he leads armies.” The warrior in God tends to be misunderstood and even ignored. But the Bible is clear in describing: The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name. (Exodus 15:3)

The LORD will march out like a mighty man, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies. (Isaiah 42:13)

Clearly the Lord wants to fight for you and with you. Paul understood this fight when he wrote to Timothy to “fight the good fight of faith.” But we have to remember, we can not fight on our strength alone. When things get really tough, the Bible says: The LORD will fight for you; you need only be still. (Exodus 14:14) In other words, stop trying to fight on your own strength. Give your battle to the Lord, the mightiest warrior of all. Be still and patient. Take a breather and ask God to fight for you and he will. And remember, it is the warrior in God that came to Earth, fought for your salvation, conquered death, and defeated sin. And it is that warrior who will return on a white horse, robe dipped in blood, to defeat Satan once and for all (read Revelation 19:11-21).

What battles are you fighting that you need to give to the Lord to fight for you?

faith

june 10, 2007

Psalm 108:4 “For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.” (NIV) How comforting it is to know that the Lord we serve is faithful to us. His faithfulness to us stretches to the skies. He knows our past, our deepest heartaches and our darkest sinful thoughts. Yet He is faithful to us. He will never leave our side. Praise the Lord! I know I’ve done nothing to deserve such a faithful Father. In fact I’ve done just about everything not to deserve Him. But He’s not going anywhere. Though I know my Lord is eternally faithful to me, it is a constant struggle to rely on God’s strength and trust His faithfulness to meet my needs. I often take His faithfulness for granted and revert back to my pre-Christian self; attempting to do things through my own strength. Can you think of a time when you decided to use your own strength to meet a goal or need? This is something I decide subconsciously every single day. We live in a world where we’re told to raise ourselves up by our proverbial boot-straps, and to live the American Dream to get what we want. So it’s difficult to cast aside the way society tells us to live our lives in order to live a Christian life. God doesn’t ask us to reach our goals on our own. He wants us to trust in Him and rely on His strength. We know that He is a faithful God, so why can’t we trust Him with everything. God is all powerful. So why can’t we rely on his strength for everything. It is easy to rely on Him when we can’t do it ourselves. But God wants us to rely on Him all the time. Remember that He is faithful to us. He will never leave us. But He wants us to trust in Him and His strength in our lives. Praise God for His faithfulness to you. Ask Him to help you rely on His strength instead of your own throughout your day.

june 11, 2007

humility/service

purity

june 12, 2007

Philippians 2:3-11

Pure: free from impurities, sinless, clean, without faults.

Author and scholar Beth Moore has spoken much about our culture of self-absorbtion. She cites a passage in Isaiah 47:8 that states, “I am, and there is none besides me.” These words are spoken about the ancient Babylonian culture, but are just as relevant in our Western society today. Our culture teaches that it is all about us—and we overindulge. We have so many things, and if we aren’t careful, we will be completely distracted from God. The question is, how do we live and engage in this culture that we have been entrusted by God to be in, but not be defiled by it? Where is the line of overindulgence? Unfortunately, it’s not always so clear. But I think that scripture gives some pretty sound advice on this topic. In chapter 4 of the book of James we find a rebuking of a selfish attitude and a call to humility. It says that, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not be opposed by God! He is basically saying that we will never move forward in our faith if we do not humble ourselves before him. Humbling yourself does not mean that you think of yourself as the scum between your toes. It simply involves having a correct view of God that realizes his infinite wisdom, power, and glory are so beyond anything we can ever imagine. We are submitting to his strength and will. We must constantly fight against the culture that tells us, “I am, and there is none besides me.” Try to memorize Philippians 2:3-4 and spend some time meditating on it today. Think about areas in your life that you might be looking only to your own interests. Are you choosing a career/job for your own reasons or God’s? Are you approaching your relationships for what you can get out of them, or what you can give?

I Peter 1:22-25 We can often think of purity in just the terms of being sexually pure. But by the very definition of purity it encompasses all sin. Peter goes on right after he says this to challenge the believers to rid themselves of all hatred and deceit, hypocrisy, envy, slander of every kind (1 Peter 2:1). How often do I simply skim over those lists in the Bible, and let God deal with what I think are the “big” things in my life that keep me from purity and not look at the “little” things. Someone once told me that the Word of God will sting your heart, His very words will prick us at the places that we’re not living the pure life that He’s created us for. That person also told me that while it would sting at first it would then sing. That the Word would then be music to our ears as God guides us into understanding His grace that covers the sin He points out, the love He has for us in the midst of when we mess up over and over. Are you letting the Lord sting your heart with His Word? In what areas of your life do you find God challenging you to confess, to make right with Him? The Lord already sees those who have put their faith in Him as pure and blameless, but while we’re on this earth and the power of sin is still very real, we’ve got to ask God to continue to weed out the things in our life that keep us from experiencing that purity that is already ours (Rom.8). The power of God’s word is what will change us and will reveal to us His grace. Get real with the Lord today about the “little” impurities in your life and apply His promise of 1 John 1:9. He’s the one that makes us righteous; He’s the one that gently changes us, calling out sin to make us more who He created us to be.

june 13, 2007

identity

John 10:3-4 “To Him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear His voice and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. When He has brought out all His own, He goes before them and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice” God knows each and every one of us on a very deep and personal level. He calls me by name. We are not carbon copies of anything, nor is there anyone exactly like me. We all have a personal identity created especially for us by God. He knows us better than anyone else in this world. He has a set plan, which is not like any plan He has set for anyone else. He is leading me on a path to Him. I find it amazing that there could be Someone that knows me better than I do, and that there is Someone who guides me through life. God wants us all to travel our own journey in life and not to follow someone else’s. God’s understanding of who we are, is deeper than we can ever imagine. We are all unique and created in His image. This passage talks about how God speaks to us and how the faithful follow His voice. When He needs to call us by name, He knows exactly who we are. God wants us to know Him and trust Him enough to be able to follow Him on our journey.

perserverance

june 14, 2007

Hope: The world vs.“Let us hold fast the Wordconfession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23 Hebrews 10:23 The world holds fast to circumstances. The world tells us that trends, culture, and emotions should reign supreme over us, and the result is an anything less than a steadfast existence. I see this play out in my own life quite often. I put my hope in the vain treasures of this world and find my security in the fallen people around me. And I am, without fail, always left wanting. The Word shows us a different way to live. The author of Hebrews tells us to “hold fast to the confession of our hope” – the NIV translates this verse to say “let us hold unswervingly”. As believers, our hope is grounded in the steadfast and eternal greatness of Jesus Christ. Our hope in the promises of Jesus Christ stands unmatched by any earthly circumstances that we may encounter. The result is therefore dramatically different – in sweet seasons of joy and in the middle of life’s storms, we can hold firm to the constancy of our Savior, finding our hope and security in His sacrifice of love for us on the cross. The end of this verse 23 tells us that we can do this simply because “He who promised is faithful.” Praise God! We can find our hope in Him and , we can persevere through life, because He has never – not once – broken a promise of His. We can rest assured knowing that noNo matter what the world tells us, we can find our hope in the unfaltering promises of our faithful God. What are you holding fast to in your life right now – the circumstances around you or the truth of God’s loving promises? Remember, Beloved, that He who promised is faithful. Let your confidence be renewed in God’s incredible steadfastness – He will not let you down!

june 15, 2007

discipleship

Hebrews 12:1-3 Have you ever run competitively? I haven’t run too many races but over Thanksgiving break, I ran in the Flying Feather Four Miler. The start was exhilarating; the mass of people jostling around, slowly starting to spread out enough to run. I was cutting in and out of people, passing some and getting passed, until around the first mile, when I settled in and tried to keep up with the guy just in front of me. Running a race helped me understand while the Bible always talks about life as a race. In Hebrews, it talks about the “great cloud of witnesses” that surrounds us as we run. This is the body of Christ, but just like the Flying Feather, often times we need a run with someone instead of just in this mass of people. When you become a Christian, realizing there are many others running with you is motivating, but we also need that individual motivation from a running partner. Jesus told us to go and make disciples, to go and make “running partners,” if you will. Because this is what discipleship is; it is following that person who is in front of you, and it is encouraging the person behind you to stick with it. The important thing is, you or the person you are following is not the goal. The goal is to “fix our eyes on Jesus,” who is waiting at the finish line. Encourage the person you are “discipling” and look to someone more mature to help “disciple” you and push you, but do so because you are all striving to follow Jesus and truly become his disciple. Are you “running” in the guidance of anyone? Are you helping anyone “run”? Jesus called us to make disciples, so what is holding you back?

trials/brokenness

june 16, 2007

2 Thessalonians 3:3 (NIV) “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” Inevitably, all of us will fall on tough times every now and then. Whether as the result of a single major catastrophe like the death of a loved one, or via the accumulation of many smaller disappointments, there will be times when we feel broken down. Sometimes when things are low, it can even be tempting to question God’s plan for us. This verse reminds us that faithfulness is reciprocated in our relationship with God; we are faithful to Him, and He is faithful to us. When you think about it, what could offer better solace in a time of despair? The driving force in the whole Universe, God, is faithful to each and every one of us! His knowledge, His power, and His love are infinitely beyond description, and in our times of trouble He’s in our corner, He has a plan for each of us, and He loves each of us more than we can ever understand. Faith in God’s faithfulness will get us through any tribulations the world can throw at us.

june 17, 2007

eternal perspective

Colossians 3:3-4 “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Throughout my high school years, and through my first few semesters here at Miami, I really struggled with placing too much emphasis on my grades and being the perfect student. This was not an eternal perspective, but an earthly one. My grades get me praise and acceptance from my professors and peers, but who do I really want acceptance from? What sticks out to me from these verses is Christ is our life. Ultimately, what is important is praise and acceptance from Jesus. He is the one who will one day say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” This being said, what should we emphasize as important in our lives? Things that are eternal, that last. There are three things that are eternal: God, God’s word, and the souls of men. Recently, I have fallen in love with the word and the encouragement and truth that comes from immersing ourselves in it. Talk to God! Allow the Spirit to show you what is most important. Invest in things eternal—invest in people. How much more important is it to share the word of the Lord with a friend or classmate and be able to see their face in Heaven, than it is to obsess over something that will disappear after our time on earth is over? We need to live for and invest in the things that will last forever. There is a diagram that represents this idea really well—draw a line horizontally across the bottom of this page with arrows on both ends and then pick a place anywhere on that line and draw a dot. That line is eternity and your time here on earth is that dot. Which do you want to live for? I would challenge you to answer these questions prayerfully: What are you living for… the line or the dot? What are some things that you place a lot of emphasis on in your life that could be holding you back from having an eternal perspective—living for the line?

prayer/fasting

june 18, 2007

Luke 2:37 “She never left the temple but worshipped night and day” This verse in Luke refers to Anna, an 84-year-old widow who was also a prophetess. Can you imagine what her life was like? After seven years of marriage, she became a widow, and then spent her life worshipping God in the temple courts of Jerusalem. Her lifestyle reflects a life fully surrendered to God, an existence dedicated to worship and gaining Godly wisdom. Yet Anna’s life of devotion was reflected beyond her devotion to prayer and fasting. To get the whole story, read Luke 2: 22-38. More than all those years in prayer, it’s the fact that Anna was able to recognize Christ and be in God’s presence that reflects her surrender. The very thing that Anna was praying for – the coming of the Messiah – was right in front of her eyes! With joy, she offered hope to others by telling them of Christ. When I look at my own life, I question how willing I would be to sacrifice my life and time, let alone stay in one location for close to sixty years. Anna was a widow, and God was her only family and prayer her occupation. Though we may have families and responsibilities, one thing evident in Anna’s life that I long for is a heart for God’s will, and a life surrendered to seeking His wisdom. Move beyond your own wisdom, and strive for heavenly wisdom. Follow Anna’s example and set aside time for prayer, and even a day of fasting. Look beyond your desires and focus on God and His will. Like Anna, realize that you are in the presence of God. Anna didn’t let anything hinder her devotion to God; strive to do the same.

june 19, 2007

fellowship

truth/god’s word

june 20, 2007

1 John 1:7

Psalm 26

Fellowship can come in many different forms. The world defines fellowship as an association in friendly character, companionship or an association of persons having similar tastes, interests, etc. However, Christian fellowship is much deeper, having spiritual communion. As brothers and sisters in Christ, fellowship among Christians is rooted in the intimate family relationship we have with each other. But, in order to have healthy fellowship as believers, we must first have a deep, continual fellowship with God. Having oneness with Christ leads to oneness with each other. The verse calls us to walk in the light, as Christ walked in the light, and only if we do this can we fellowship together. If we aren’t walking in the light, our fellowship with both God and men is hindered. Sin breaks fellowship, which can only be restored by confession and repentance; we’re forgiven because Christ shed His blood. Walking in the light is never easy; the world is consistently challenging believers to sin and go against God’s will, making is necessary to surround oneself with other Christians and to share a deep fellowship. This does not mean that you should not interact with non-believers, as we are called to share the Gospel; however, you should see a difference in your relationships with fellow Christians and non-believers. Fellowship with Christians should be strengthening and encouraging in you personal walk with Christ. Solid fellowship should create purity and faith, and should be bounded in love, which conquers selfishness.

Some talk of truth but sit with sin; it is better to walk in truth and move with the word.

Ask yourself… Is there a difference in my relationships with Christians and non-Christians? What are some of these differences? Am I surrounding myself with Christians who will strengthen and encourage me in my personal walk? Is my fellowship with God more important then my fellowship with men?

In Psalm 26, David is praying for God’s mercy and vindication, because he has led a blameless life. However, David wasn’t perfect. In fact, he committed adultery with another man’s wife and then had that man killed to stop him from finding out. However, by his assurance of the truthfulness of God’s promise and the experience of His divine love and forgiveness, David was preserved from sin and spared from the death that overtakes the ungodly. David trusted in God’s love and not his own ability. David says that he refused to remain still, or to settle, in the company of wicked. Instead, he chose to keep his eye steadfastly on the Lord’s love and truth, and he chose to take action, to move with God’s word, and to “walk continually” in this truth. God wants us to put the knowledge of His truth into action and be honest with him, like David was. He confessed that he acted wrongly, and he told God that he was sorry (Psalm 51). God will do the same for you if you ask Him. Instead of wallowing in our sin when we mess up, we need to get up and take action, confessing that sin and then confidently walking in the truth that we have been forgiven by the grace of God! God calls us to actively pursue righteousness while calling on the Lord (2 Timothy 2:22). We can’t overcome this sin alone, and we weren’t meant to. But by walking in the truth of His word, and by our reliance and surrender to God, our feet can “stand on level ground” in the confidence of God’s unfailing love.

june 21, 2007

evangelism/witnessing

holy spirit

june 22, 2007

Acts 1:8

Acts 1:6-8

“God, you cannot be serious!” These words ran through my head as I stared at a girl sitting at a nearby table. She lived in my dorm but I had never talked to her before. My heart pounded in my chest as I argued with God. I sat there, frozen in my chair, knowing that I had two choices right in front of me. I could go back to reading my book, ignoring the conviction that God had placed upon my heart, or I could stand up, grab the 4 laws book that I knew was in my backpack, and walk up to her. I was confident that He would give me the words to talk to her, but that didn’t stop my hands from shaking as I grabbed the booklet, slipped it into my pocket and slowly walked towards her. God did give me the words, yet she ended up not wanting to hear the gospel. Many would have felt discouraged and ashamed of this result, but I knew that God’s heart was bursting with pride for I had listened and acted upon this conviction. I may not have succeeded in the eyes of men, but in the eyes of God, there were tears of joy. Jesus said in Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” There is no doubt in my mind that the Holy Spirit had filled me as I talked to that girl about my faith. God commands us to share the good news, only He can change hearts. I don’t know if I’ll ever get the chance to talk to that girl again, but I know that God has a hold on her heart, and I am so humbled that He chose me to plant a seed.

When I was little I used to think that the Holy Spirit was something inside my belly that made me understand right from wrong so I wouldn’t get in trouble. Since then I have learned about the overwhelming power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is permanent in we who accept Him, and He works through us to produce Christ-like qualities and to guide us in the bringing others to the Lord. Jesus said that after He leaves, the Father would give us another Helper and this Helper will not be of the world and the world could not receive Him (John 14:16-18). So the Holy Spirit makes us different from the world. The Holy Spirit lives inside every believer to produce Christ’s character inside all of us, to help us decipher truth and know who we are in Christ Jesus (1 Corinthians 2:9-14). I’m sure you’ve heard of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). We have Christ’s character by allowing the Holy Spirit to produce these qualities in our lives. Today, allow the Holy Spirit to produce these qualities in your life- the Holy Spirit cannot work in us if we are not willing or expecting to change. I’m so happy that the Holy Spirit is not only in my belly but is in everything I do, hear, think, or say, in every limb of my body and surrounding me, not only telling me what I am doing wrong but teaching me, patiently, to be more like Christ and to show others His love and bringing others to know Him personally- something I could never do on my own.

june 23, 2007

grace

Grace is one of those things that, when you think about it, doesn’t really make much sense at all. I mean, honestly, grace is basically getting something you don’t deserve. All our lives, we are taught to follow the rules, obey the laws, because if we don’t then we’ll get in trouble. Think about a time you did something you shouldn’t have, and because of that you should have been in trouble; instead, you were shown grace. Maybe, you were playing baseball and broke your neighbor’s window; instead of making you pay for it, they let it slide. Or maybe you didn’t finish your capstone on time, and instead of destroying your grade, your professor gave you an extension. It’s all grace. I think we need to realize the truth about ourselves, that we are all sinful (Romans 3:23 – for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God) and we all make mistakes sometimes. Just as God has shown His love for us, we need to be willing to show grace to others. We need to be truthful as well, and we are called to restore wandering believers so they don’t fall into sinful patterns (Galatians 6:1), but we need to be willing to show grace too. Not only should we be willing to show grace to others, especially for little things such as not cleaning up, leaving the lights on, etc., we should also be willing to accept grace. When’s the last time you got down on yourself, despite being shown grace? Allow others, and God especially, to show you grace, as you indeed show grace to others.

god’s character

june 24, 2007

Romans 8:37-39 God loves us. This is the first point of the Gospel, and the easiest to understand when we think about all that God has done for us, but this thought brings up a good question. Why is it that God can be the last one we turn to in times of need, when He calls us to cast all our worries on Him? When we get our idea of who God is from the world, we forget His truth, and we perceive a false image of who God is. I often find myself very frustrated, un-rested, and beaten up by the world. Society holds so many ideologies that force us to be in competition with one another in all regards of life, and this will only lead to us feeling defeated by the world. In the midst of this defeat, we should be running back towards our true Father, and all the comfort He provides for us. Like an earthly Father, God loves us despite of our sin, and He is not actually surprised by our sin. He has already accepted our sins of the flesh, the world, and of Satan, and His Son, Christ Jesus, has forgiven all of them because He loves us that much. Let us all run back to the Father who loves us. Prayer: Father God, I pray that You can draw us nearer to your love, even when the world tries to tell us differently, and that we can be a constant example of your love like your son Jesus Christ. We praise You for Your love, and seek to give our lives up to you, so that Your love will dictate our lives.

june 25, 2007

faith

Hebrews 13:7-8 A wise woman on staff with Campus Crusade wrote a book titled “Faith is Not a Feeling.” As I’ve matured in my walk with God, I’ve come to realize the wisdom of these words. What does it mean to “walk by faith?” What if I don’t feel like I am close to God and don’t feel motivated to serve? Contrary to what many believe, faith is not some mysterious feeling that always appears, but an act of the will to take God at his word, even when our emotions may not be fully aligned. By depending on our feelings, we are limiting the power of God. Maybe we depend on our feelings of anger instead of forgiving, maybe we depend on feelings of fear, instead of believing God’s sovereignty. We may even falsely depend on poor feelings about ourselves, instead of knowing that we are “fully known” and fully loved by God. What would it look like if we elevated our view of God to the point that it really influenced our actions, despite our feelings? Sometimes I have to say to myself, “This is the same God who parted the Red Sea! Why on earth do I not think He is capable of taking care of this issue in my life?” By faith, I choose to say, “God, I don’t see how this is working, but I know your promises are true and you are faithful, so I trust you in this through your Word.” How amazing that we can look at God’s faithfulness in the past, and the faith of other Christians, and choose to believe God in the same way—“imitate their faith,” as Hebrews says. Through faith we come into possession of a new life and through it we walk in it. It is not a life of feeling but a life of discerning the will of God through his word and believing and acting on it, regardless of feeling or circumstances.

humility/service

june 26, 2007

Ephesians 6:7 “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.” Let us talk for a second about what you are doing this summer. If you are like me in past years you made the mistake of working some very undesirable job. There might be a lot of physical labor that makes you sore and tired and generally angry at the world. I had some bad jobs over the summers. Others of you might have a job you enjoy and paying for school and other fun things. Then there are some of you in the ministry working full time to bring people to know Christ this summer. Whatever the task at hand we should always apply this verse given to us by Paul. Paul is showing us how to live and work like one who desires to follow Jesus. When we work, we are not just getting a job done but represent ourselves and our God. Do you need someone looking over your shoulder to put your full effort forward? I know I am guilty of working harder when I see someone watching. This reveals something to us about our priorities in service. We should always be doing our best as we would serve the Lord. It is also pretty awesome that the Lord rewards us for the good we do through our service to others, so we do not just want to limit this verse to work. Pray and write down some practical ways you can better work/serve wholeheartedly for the Lord.

june 27, 2007

purity

2Corinthians 10:5 …we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. What if purity is really more an issue of our hearts than it is about how much of our physical desires we can deny? When we read the first part of this verse, we find that Paul is writing to help the believers to combat those opposed to the Gospel. I would say that the power of sin and Satan himself is directly opposed to the Gospel. Well, the second half of this verse is what Paul does so beautifully in all his writings, he brings the attention and the focus back to Christ. This is exactly how we need to combat sin, to walk with the Lord. In my walk with the Lord I have learned many of these things the hard way. I’ve always wanted to see how strong I can be and how much I can stand up to temptation on my own but I always fail. Big surprise huh? We must look to our example in Christ and filter our lives through the Word to see how we should respond to the temptations in our lives. I have learned that purity both physical and mental is so important because it hinders my intimacy with God and my relationships with others. Our hearts must be right with our model of Jesus in order to keep our path straight. The draw to apathy this summer will be great and always will be. We need to be ready to go to battle for the purity of our minds and fight for intimacy with God and fellowship with friends. In order to win this war, we must take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

identity

june 28, 2007

What defines me? Better yet, what do I want to define me? I love Facebook, because it’s full of identities. Simply scrolling down an internet page you can determine what someone is all about in a matter of seconds. What do you want people to notice when they look at your page? College is filled with people finding themselves, when we really need people to find Christ- that is when we are given our true identity. Read Romans 8: 15-17. We know that Christ identified us as His sons and daughters, but are we ready to allow Christ to define us? What does it look like for people to identify me as a follower of Christ? I can tell you this- it isn’t popular- look at how Jesus was treated. He wasn’t cool, and not everybody liked Him. Most importantly, to be identified with Christ means not to be ashamed. Can we, like David, dance before the Lord with all our might and look at others who are ashamed, or think you’re weird and still say “I will celebrate before the Lord and I will become even more undignified than this?” The journey is not going to be easy, there are times when we fall like Peter and become ashamed of our King. There will be circumstances in your life when your faith is condemned and you don’t want to be identified as Christ’s follower. We all have to make a choice. And the choice isn’t always going to be comfortable. Some faced jeers and flogging, being stoned, put in prison, sawed in two, persecuted and mistreated (Hebrews 11)- ALL for their identity in Christ. But you know what God said? The world was not worthy of them- so remember your true identity as an ambassador for Christ. When we come face to face with Christ- we will truly realize why we gave it all up for Him.

june 29, 2007

perserverance

Matthew 24:13 “but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Why does life seem to be so hard at times? I’ve always sat and thought to myself, why couldn’t God just make it easy for me, with no troubles, no stress, no confusion, and no hurt? Why can’t the path God wants me to take or the choices God wants me to make come with no burdens? I mean after all, I am trying to live my life for him. Jesus knew we would experience obstacles in this world. Before Jesus was crucified, he informed his disciples that living in this world for Christ wouldn’t be easy, that the world would literally hate them because they hated Him. He continues to say that “if they persecuted me, they will persecute you also” (John 15:20). In the Bible, we are continually reminded that life isn’t easy::, God didn’t just let Jacob go, he wrestled with him throughout the night, and even dislocated his hip; the story of Job is a continuing reminder that when troubles or calamities arise, the only thing one can do is trust the Lord and continue to seek him. David says in Psalm 37:24 that “though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.” God will never leave us to fail, he will never leave us to fall. AsAsIf we continue to “endure hardship. . .like a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:3), God will continue to be there to help us through everything. James writes in his letter that we should consider it a pure joy when we face trials! Why? Well, because through the trials, we are being tested continuously, and through this testing we begin to develop perseverance and reliance on God so we can be mature and complete (James 1:2-4), always trusting in Him who continues to rescue us. ContinueContinueWe need to continue to fight -- , fight for our King, and fight for the eternal promise that He has given us!!, because the one who “stands firm to the end will be saved” and will experience eternal paradise with our Lord! Through this summer and into next semester, continue to pray that God will test you, that God will allow you to endure and fight so that you may also be mature and complete, trusting in Him alone for help and strength, and when troubles come, remember God will always be there with you!

discipleship

june 30, 2007

Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” This verse is typically reserved for talking about evangelism. It is the Great Commission, our being commanded by Jesus to share our faith as he did. I think it is important to note that in this statement Jesus uses the term disciple. This statement seems to say not only are we to see people trust Jesus with their lives but also to make disciples of them. This process of discipleship, the training and equipping of believers is a method that comes straight from Jesus. Many times our outreach on campus ends with conversion. This certainly would have been what I thought Jesus would have done as well. I imagine Jesus could have seen thousands more people trust Him with their lives had he not spent so much private time with who we know as His 12 disciples. He was investing his time with a few, in order to reach many. In modern terms this might be the difference between working harder and working smarter. Jesus has laid out the perfect strategy for a college student to impact his or her campus for Christ’s glory. Training and developing new believers to train and develop other believers results exponential growth. In the same way a finance major will tell you that you could have a million dollars at age 50 by only saving a little bit of money now, the miracle of compounding interest can have a similar effect on the expansion of God’s kingdom. This is why Jesus chose to spend his time this way and why His disciples lived out His model of discipleship. In the same way, we are called and commanded to do the same.

july 1, 2007

trials/brokenness

Read Matthew 14:22-31 and answer these questions: Why were the disciples scared? How did Jesus comfort them?? What caused Peter to start to sink? What was Jesus’s response to Peter? Only when Peter took his eyes off Jesus did he start to sink. Peter was experiencing a miracle—he was actually walking on water! All of a sudden though, he realized the strong wind blowing around him, became afraid, and started to sink. We all have experienced the “winds” in our lives. A broken relationship, troubles with your family, a heartbreaking illness, suffering of a loved one. All of a sudden, all you can see are huge waves of adversity and the winds of turmoil, and you become scared. You find yourself sinking and desperate. May I suggest that our main problem during these trials is that we are taking our eyes off Jesus and focusing instead on the trial. Remember, whatever you focus on is what will appear bigger in your eyes. You focus on the trial, and the trial will seem insurmountable. You focus on Jesus, though, and you know He can handle anything. Peter started sinking because he looked away from Jesus and instead focused on his surroundings. Cry out to Jesus and set your mind on what is True. In that instant while walking on water, Peter doubted and his emotions took over. In trials, feelings and emotions have a tendency to overwhelm us. Be sure to focus on the TRUTH of God’s Word over feelings. Notice what Peter did as soon as he started to sink. He cried out to Jesus. What was Jesus’s response? He immediately reached out his head and caught him. Cry out to Jesus. Grab on to His hand. He will save you, even if it’s not in a way you expect.

eternal perspective

july 2, 2007

Philippians 3:7-9, 13-14 1 Corinthians 2:2 The way in which we live our lives is determined by the way in which we view God and ourselves. We each have our own personal struggles or weaknesses that cloud our view of God and blind us from his truth, preventing us from living according to the incredible plan he has for us. We are incapable of experiencing the abundant life Jesus longs to give us (John 10:10) when our attention is spread so thin among so many different things. In order to experience this fullness of life, I believe that we must make God our one and only priority, and in order for this to happen, our entire perspective must change. Seeing our lives as we were intended to requires that we see things through God’s eyes, through his eternal perspective. As Paul writes in Philippians 3, everything in our lives aside from our relationship with Christ must be regarded as worthless and discarded, in order for us to “focus all of our energy on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, we must strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.” The one thing we are to look to is Jesus Christ and the sacrifice he made for us; the way in which we live is drastically changed when our perspective is transformed so that all else is discarded and we see Jesus more clearly than ever before. Paul writes of this concept yet again in 1 Corinthians when he says, “I decided to concentrate only on Jesus and his death on the cross.” I have a long way to go before I am to the point that Paul reached- because my perspective is so easily shifted away from Jesus as my only priority, but I am called to “run with perseverance the race marked out for me (Hebrews 12:1-3),” fixing my eyes on the finish line and running after it with all that I am.

july 3, 2007

prayer/fasting

fellowship

july 4, 2007

Mark 1:35

Acts 2:42-47

Jesus was the greatest example of how to live a life of prayer. This example in Mark is just one instance where Jesus shows us how to pray. There are two specific practices in this passage that I want to focus on. The first is the time of day and the second is where He prayed.

These few verses illustrate the power of strong Christian fellowship. The believers came together everyday to pray and to praise their Heavenly Father, and the Lord blessed them greatly for it. They all came together, unified, and took care of one another. Fellowship with other believers is an important part of our faith. We need to have encouragers, disciplers, brothers, and sisters with Christ’s love who can help us down the path of life; who can push us closer to our Heavenly Father. We also need to be the encouragers, disciplers, brothers, and sisters who show Christ’s love to everyone around us.

Jesus prayed first thing in the morning. It can more consistently set our mind on the Lord throughout the day if we begin by giving the day to the Lord and preparing our hearts to do His will. Also, it is a strengthening exercise for the day ahead. Just as you shouldn’t go running without stretching, you shouldn’t start your day without prayer. The second thing Christ did was go to a solitary place. This allows you to consecrate, or to wholly dedicate, yourself onto the Lord and to create separation between you and the world. Being in solitude permits you to focus fully on God by minimizing distractions and hindrances. It is quintessential that you give alone time with God everyday or your relationship with Him will suffer. As Andrew Murray says in his book Humility and Absolute Surrender, “If you are not willing to sacrifice time to get alone with Him, and to give Him time every day to work in you and to keep up the link of connection between you and Himself, He cannot give you that blessing of his unbroken fellowship.” Other passages to look at: Matthew 6:6, Mark 6:46, Luke 5:16, 6:12

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 How incredibly blessed we are to have the amazing fellowship that we do while we are at school! But during the summer, while we are all separated, we still need to have fellowship with other believers. We need to have other followers of Jesus Christ who can help keep us in line, and hold us accountable in our walk with the Lord. We need that support system. I strongly encourage you, if you haven’t already, to find and least one or two people in your life during this summer, whom you can have strong Christian fellowship with. People you can pray with, whom you can encourage and be encouraged by. The Lord will bless you through these relationships.

july 5, 2007

truth/god’s word

John 3:21 “But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” Living by the truth is not easy to do. It’s a continuous struggle to take up our cross and walk with the Lord every day. But as John says, when we live by the truth, we walk in the light. Therefore, it is with the truth found in the Bible that aspects of our life are brought into the light. We begin to realize that God is bringing some facets of our lives to our attention and showing us that we need to walk in the light of truth. The latter portion of the verse helps me to realize that walking in the light is not something that I can do on my own. John Eldredge writes in Wild at Heart that inevitably “the false self fails” and that our walk with the Lord begins when we come to that realization. When we begin to live for the Lord, dramatic changes occur in our lives, not because of our doing, but because of God’s. God is entering our life and molding it into what He has created it for: His purpose. Living in the truth implies a life of submission to the Lord and making decisions not based on earthly desires but on the Lord’s desires. It is then that our lives are transformed and we can look back and say that what we have done has been done through God. In what areas of your life do you live by truth? In what areas do you not live by truth? How would your life look if you continually walked in the truth of who God is and who you are?

evangelism/witnessing

july 6, 2007

The idea of sharing your faith with others can be an intimidating idea. What if they think less of me? What if I don’t say the right things? What if my heart isn’t really into this? At different moments of my life I have wondered all these specific questions. None of these worries are legitimate reasons to not share our faith with our non-Christian friends and family because we are called to be a witness for Jesus. Romans 10:9-10 says, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved(NIV).” Paul strictly demands that we must acknowledge our relationship with Christ in order to be saved. If we keep the great news of Jesus dying for our sins and allowing us to have a relationship with our Maker to ourselves we are directly disobeying God’s rules. Each day we have the opportunity to share Christ’s love with others because for all we know, we might be the only Christ-like character that they ever experience. Actions often speak louder than words. By building friendships with non-Christians we have the opportunity to share the grace of God through our actions. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 1:8 that your lives are echoing the Master’s Word…The news of your faith in God is out. We don’t have to say anything anymore− you’re the message!(The Message). Once we have shared Christ’s love through our actions, we need to eventually take the leap of faith and share the Good News with our friends. Our time frame to have an impact in college on our non-Christian friends is relatively short. The knowledge of God’s grace towards us should be enough of a reason for us to be bold with our friends because we want them to enjoy this unbelievable experience of knowing Christ and being saved from sin and eventually getting to be in Heaven eternally.

july 7, 2007

holy spirit

Job 1 When I think about the Holy Spirit, I think about a voice. It takes discipline to understand that I have to trust that the Spirit is alive and speaking in me. Listening to Him is where it can be hard. I think about confusion in my life where I was doing anything to feel like I could hear what the Lord had planned for me, or what move he wanted me to make next. The book of Job has always taught me a lot about being faithful that the Lord will provide and His Spirit will be faithful in times even when we do not feel it. We see Job’s faith in the first chapter of his book. Take time to read Job1. Praise the Lord for examples of faith in the Him like these! Examples like these in the Bible give me hope that even in hard times the Lord is there and I MUST trust that His Spirit is there and speaking to me; we need only to listen. There have been numerous times where I felt like I was walking so closely with the Lord and yet could not feel the passion I desired. I doubted myself and the Lord in me. I became confused and discouraged but am reminded that we are God’s children and called to be new and free from fear with hope in the Spirit. (Romans 8:15-16) The Spirit fills me with hope that my Lord is sovereign and trustworthy. The Spirit lives in all of us as new creations in Christ our King.

grace

july 8, 2007

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Ephesians 3:8-10

Before I accepted Christ into my life, I assumed eternal life had everything to do with being a good person and doing good things. I thought I controlled my own destiny and hanging out with God in Heaven was my reward. It has taken time to comprehend that I don’t control my salvation. It is entirely by God’s grace, love, and mercy that we get to spend eternity with him. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his son and forgave our sins. Ephesians 1:7

july 9, 2007

god’s character

Luke 11:1-11 Hebrews 12:1-10 I think something that keeps people from wanting to believe in God is the fact He is our Heavenly Father. Sadly, a lot of people have not had the greatest parents, let alone the best fathers. It’s time for us to realize that God is far greater than any father we could have on earth. I’ve been blessed to have great parents and a great father, for whom I’m truly thankful for. Sadly, I realize this isn’t true for everyone. I know there are men out there who never had a dad to play catch with, and there are ladies reading this who may have never felt like they were daddy’s little girl. Not having a good father can leave wounds far too deep for us to heal. Because of bad experiences in the past with earthly fathers, we can be afraid to approach God as our Heavenly Father. As we see in the Lord’s Prayer, we can approach God and ask for that which is in His will. He wants to bless us according to His will because He loves us; oftentimes, we fail to realize this and miss out on the life He wants for us. We must also understand that God will discipline us as a father, but the discipline He offers is for our good, that we may share in His holiness. He knows what’s best for us, and He knows what must be done for us to grow closer to Him. So my encouragement to you is to be unashamed to ask God to give you godly desires, and to give you the desires of your heart. Also, don’t be afraid of discipline, it’s for your own good. God really is our Perfect Father, and He will treat us as so.

faith

july 10, 2007

Genesis 22 (yes, read all of it!] Can you imagine being Abraham? He and Sarah waited many years for a child; Abraham was 100 years old when Issac was born! I know many of us are not parents, but try to imagine God telling you to totally give up, to the point of death, someone whom you dearly love. Do you think you would have the same heart of Abraham? A heart fully willing to surrender absolutely anything (even his only son) to God and His will? Abraham was willing. I praise God that He actually did what He asked Abraham to do—in that God sent His only Son, Jesus, to die on a cross to be a sacrifice that would pay for the sins of all people. How great is God’s love and mercy! As you go on with your day, think about ways you could take a leap of faith in the Lord. What might He be tugging at your heart for you to do? Or maybe a place to go? Something to give up? Reflect on what God’s Word has told us about Abraham—and God Himself—about sacrifice and having the faith in God’s good and perfect plan to trust in Him, and how God truly has a plan for each of us (Jeremiah 29:11). Please pray with me. Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that You would give me a heart of surrender, so that You would continually shape my faith to trust in You—no matter what You are calling me to do. Lord, I ask that you would give me courage to take a step of faith in whatever direction You lead me, and I pray against the enemy’s lies and discouragement, in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank You Lord, for Your presence in my life; continue to draw me close to You! I love You, Lord! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

july 11, 2007

humility/service

Matthew 20:20-28 A lot of times, we think of service as something we do when we go on missions trips, or volunteer at soup kitchens, or some special occasion. I think we have an improper view on what it means to serve. Towards the end of this passage, Jesus says, “…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve…”. I think what Jesus meant by this is that His life was meant to be one of service, not just every third Saturday of the month at the Red Cross. What I mean is, Jesus lived a life full of service. This doesn’t have to be volunteering every weekend (although that certainly is admirable); this can be little things we do every day. For example, wash your housemate’s dishes, take out the trash, do the things other people don’t want to. Help carry someone’s books to class. If you see an object in the middle of the sidewalk, push it out of the way so no one gets hurt. We need to be careful to not fall into the trap that we are saved by our works, because we know it is in Christ alone that we receive salvation. However, I think that as we allow Christ to shine through in our lives, the small acts of service will become standard, and (just like Jesus), our lives will be lives of service.

purity

july 12, 2007

Daniel 1:8 “But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.” Please read all of Daniel 1. Reading this entire chapter gives us a beautiful picture of what it means to keep ourselves pure for the Lord our God. First, the context takes us back to 605BC where Daniel has just been captured and hauled off to be with King Nebuchadnezzar of the great Babylonian Empire which has just conquered the Jewish kingdom of Judah. Right away we see that Daniel is being put in a tough position Daniel and the Jews that were the “cream of the crop” were brought to the King’s council and called to assimilate into Babylonian and pagan society. However, Daniel refuses to “defile” himself (v8). He chose not to eat or drink certain foods because the food either went against the kosher laws of the Jews (Leviticus 11), or he did not want to rely on the King’s ideas of how to live. He has faith that living pure and separate from the pagan culture of the Babylonians will be more glorifying to God. After Daniel and his friends choose to only consume vegetables and water, God blessed Daniel with all types of knowledge and understanding which we can see Daniel using in powerful ways in the rest of this book. Daniel chose not to consume meat and wine. Pray to ask God what are some ways that you can separate yourself from society to make yourself more pure and pleasing to God. Personally, I had to give up watching TV to purify my mind, but it could be different for everyone. Write down how you are going to make your life more pure and see how God blesses you for your faithfulness.

july 13, 2007

identity

Romans 6:9-11 (NIV) “For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Identity is a tricky subject. We are each encouraged to develop our individuality and establish a distinct identity, and in large measure this seems like a good thing. Every person has different gifts and aptitudes, and God loves every person individually, not just as a part in the sum of humanity. However, it is important to keep in mind that our identity in Christ is non-negotiable, the ultimate end of our lives. There is room for individuality in our hobbies, our careers, our dress, and a host of other facets of life; these all should contribute to glorifying God and strengthening our number one identity, in Christ. By God’s grace, we are able to share in Christ’s identity, His death to sin and His resurrected life. Of course, we all fall short of Christ’s example, but through Him we are redeemed from our sins. We are part of the body of Christ, counting ourselves dead to sin, alive in God, and no longer mastered by death, and that is the preeminent identity we should cultivate.

perserverance

july 14, 2007

“We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. 4Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. 5All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering” When Paul wrote, the world was a harsh and inhospitable place for Christians; Christians were ridiculed and persecuted for following Christ. Fast forward a couple of millennia to America in 2007, and while we need not fear imprisonment for putting our faith into practice, we are subject to more subtle trials. Our culture has become increasingly inhospitable to Christians and Christian values; we are surrounded by images of immorality. This verse is a reminder that perseverance in the face of trials will be rewarded after this life and, most importantly, that perseverance brings glory to God. To persevere in the face of trial demonstrates a love for God, and when others see the love we have for Him, He is glorified. If it is the aim of a Christian to emulate Jesus, who faced a bevy of trials during his time on Earth, perseverance against the corrupting influences in the world is a good start.

july 15, 2007

discipleship

2 Timothy 2:2 “…and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” This is probably the most used passage as a Biblical support for discipleship, but for good reason. Paul is telling Timothy some great stuff here! He’s telling Timothy to take what he has learned from him and teach it to others. He doesn’t stop here though, he says Timothy is to not just teach it to others, but to teach it to “faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” As believers we’re called to invest our lives into other people as well as investing the Gospel. Jesus didn’t say to make a bunch of converts and then He’ll come back. He was clear to tell His disciples to make more disciples. This way He knew His Gospel would continue on after He left us. Likewise, we need to allow our influence to go on after we leave Miami. Over my years as a Christian I’ve learned a lot about what it means to multiply my life, or disciple people. It’s a delicate balance of taking what we learn from others and the Word, and imparting into the lives of other believers. You see Paul told Timothy to take what he learned from him (Paul) and entrust it to others. Timothy had to get it from somewhere just as the people who have been multiplying their lives and building into you had to get it from somewhere as well. Why would you not want to share the awesome lessons you’ve learned from the Lord and others with everyone? It’s such a privilege to be a part of what Jesus set up with His disciples! He knew that the future of the Church was entrusted to His disciples who were faithful men who were able to teach it to other faithful men. We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for discipleship!

brokenness

july 16, 2007

Psalm 51: 1-17 (Day 1) Context: This is the classic passage in the Old Testament on man’s repentance and brokenness. This Psalm was written by David after his affair with Bathsheba and notice how David completely recognizes how horrendous his sin is, blames no one but himself, and begged for divine forgiveness.

This passage is broken into 5 parts: 1 Plea for forgiveness( verses 1-2) 2 The Confession( verses 3-6) 3 Prayer for Moral Cleanness( verses 7-12) 4 Promises of Renewed Service( verses 13-17) 5 Petition for Restoration( verses 18-19)

Read verses 1-19 Look over verse 1. Even though David has sinned, David knew that forgiveness was available based on Gods promise of his never ending love for us. When you sin do you believe this? That no matter how terrible the action is God will forgive you if you ask for forgiveness. It never ceases to amaze me that God anticipates every struggle we humans have, even the struggle to be convinced that God can forgive us once again for the same old sin that we keep committing over and over. Trust in God he will be faithful! In verses 4 and 5 what are the two things David acknowledges? In verse 4 David realizes if he is seeking forgiveness that even though he had tragically wronged Bathsheba his ultimate crime was against God and his holy law. Then in verse 5 Davis realizes that his sin was not Gods fault in any way it was his fallen sinful nature that existed ever since conception.

july 17, 2007

brokenness

eternal perspective

july 18, 2007

Psalm 51: 1-17 (Day 2)

1 Peter 1:14-16

Verse 7-12 is some of the most poetic and beautiful scripture to me. Read those verses again. Remember these verses are Davis’s cry for cleanliness In verse 7 David asks the Lord to clean him with hyssop, a leafy plant which was used by Old Testament priests for ceremonial cleansing, hear David is using this image to represent his longing to be spiritually cleansed. Look at verse 8 how can we rejoice in our sufferings/ “broken bones” Read verse 12 “restore to me the joy of your salvation” has such truth behind it. Maybe the reason we fall into temptation so many times and feel broken is because we are not seeking our ultimate joy in Christ and in our own salvation (John Piper talks more about this in his book Desiring God). The second part is “uphold me by your generous spirit”, the spirit is so willing, generous, and eager to uphold the believer. So call upon the spirit in your time of need.

All around us we hear, “If it’s right for you - do it!” In the news media, television, movies, politics - and sadly even in some churches. Each of us as individual believers need to be watchful that we don’t fall into the trap of being influenced by this kind of thinking. It would be so easy to rationalize our behavior when deep inside we know what we are doing is wrong. It would be so easy to justify the wrong choices we make by blaming our circumstances.

Remember verse 13-17 is the promise of a renewed service. There are many things David promises he will do because the Lord has renewed and cleansed his spirit such as: teaching “transgressors your way”, preaching Gods righteousness and “opening my lips and my mouth shall show forth praise”( tell people the amazing work the Lord has done is your life giving him the praise, that could be your testimony). Verse 17 is amazing because when we come before the Lord after trials and brokenness the best way to come before him for healing is a “broken spirit and a broken and a contrite heart.” Contrite is the dictionary means: caused by showing sincere remorse or filled with a sense of guilt and the desire for atonement. Pray to Lord whatever is on your heart, here is a sample pray, pray it is that is what’s on your heart. Lord God, help us to see forgiveness as you see it, to understand sin as you reveal it in Your Word, and to approach you dependent not on anything about us, but on who you are. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

But God, in his great love for us, has given us absolute boundaries. Inside the boundary is right; outside the boundary is wrong. He wants us to be pulled into a way of life shaped by his life, not by the news journalists, or movies, or television or anyone who says, “Just do your own thing.” It’s important to understand that God has given us these boundaries for our own protection. He didn’t give us rules just for the sake of rules. He is our Creator, our heavenly Father, and he knows what is best for us - spiritually, emotionally and physically. Just as parents give their children boundaries for their own well being, God has given us boundaries to keep us safe, well-adjusted, healthy and at peace. Consider this ... Have you been doing your own thing? Making your own rules? Maybe it’s a matter of wrong priorities ... or unforgiveness ... or dabbling in pornography on the Internet. Whatever area of your life that isn’t in sync with God’s will - are you ready to step inside the boundaries and begin doing things His way? To make Jesus Lord of every part of your life and receive His love and forgiveness? You can make this choice right now. Just talk to him. He’s ready and eager to hear from you.

july 19, 2007

prayer/fasting

God has taught me this year that, by choosing to pray and fast, we are showing our reliance upon him. We acknowledge that it is not our desires or actions that bring our friends to know Him, or bring about His will in difficult times. God’s mercy and compassion are qualities in which we put our faith. At first it might seem that the act of praying and fasting is passive, but in reality, it allows for God’s action more than any other approach. By literally experiencing God as your bread and your sustenance, we learn to seek Him to meet our needs during and after a fast, rather than finding fulfillment for ourselves. This discipline, coupled with continual communication with God, will transform your heart and allow for you to see God’s will carried out in the lives of the friends and family for which you pray. For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. Romans 9:15-17 We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 Build these habits into your lifestyle as you listen to the Lord’s voice. Come before him with the bold intention to see Him move, but also to be be completely surrendered and in reliance upon Him. As soon as you step out, I promise God will meet you there and change your world.

fellowship

july 20, 2007

1 John 1:5-9 5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Many times in my life I have realized that I’m walking in darkness and not looking to the Lord to lead me. I separate myself from God and don’t have fellowship with him. But God wants to have fellowship with us! He doesn’t want sin to separate us from him. He loves us and gave His son Jesus Christ to die for us and forgive us of our sins. We should confess our sins to the Lord so we can experience this unbelievable fellowship. By confessing our sins we receive God’s forgiveness, and can walk in the light with Him! Reflection Questions: Am I walking in the light and experiencing fellowship with God? If not, what in my life is keeping me from this fellowship with God?

july 21, 2007

truth/god’s word

Read Psalm 57 When reading this passage, without context, there is a message of trials, a yearning for protection, love, and most of all praising God. Reread the passage with this in mind: this psalm was most likely written by David, who at the time was running away from Saul, a jealous king (1 Samuel 18:1-16), who wanted to kill David. Despite the situation that David was in, He knew that God loved him, and he praised God for the protection and love that surrounded him. Trials come - God never said that they wouldn’t - but how will you react to them? Will you praise Him, will you doubt His plan, will you be content in your trial? God knows what you will face later today, tomorrow, and next year. It’s an opportunity to trust in God’s character. Ney Bailey gives this prayer of trust in her book Faith Is Not A Feeling: “Lord, I don’t feel loved. That is the truth. That is where I am right now. But, Lord, Your Word says that You love me. In fact You’ve said that You have loved me with an everlasting love. You never stop loving me. Your love for me is the one thing that stands when all else has fallen. Your Word says there is no partiality with You. That means You don’t love anyone else in the world more than You love me. So, Lord, I thank You that I’m loved. And I’ll keep on going, knowing that I am loved by You. Your Word is truer than how I feel.” Put aside your feelings and look at these truths, including Jeremiah 31:3, again. When you have days when you don’t feel loved, choose to believe in God’s Word and not how you feel.

evangelism/witnessing

july 22, 2007

Philemon 1:6 “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.” Our whole life we’ve heard over and over again that we need to share our faith as Christians because it’s a command of God. So many times we hear this and almost take it on as a burden. I know so many times in my life sharing my faith feels like a burden. But what we don’t often emphasize is how crucial sharing our faith is to our personal relationship with God. This verse says to be “…active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a FULL understanding…” So not only is sharing our faith a command, but we will never truly be able to grasp the fullness of the relationship we have with Christ until we become active in sharing our faith. This is a promise and a blessing to us. For me it puts the idea of evangelism in a totally new light. Although, it is crucial to share our faith so others will hear, it is also just as crucial for us. As we all go back to our homes, internships, or missions trips this summer I pray that we would all remember this and not become burdened with this task that God has blessed us with. Let’s all be bold this summer in trusting that God can and will use us to affect our family, friends, and co-workers to come to the knowledge and understanding of faith in Jesus Christ.

july 23, 2007

holy spirit

Ephesians 1:13-14 (NASB) “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” My favorite thing to get in the mail is letters from my Grandma Phyllis, and a major reason for that is because she always puts a cheesy sticker on the back of the envelope. Right where the flap comes to a ‘v,’ that sticker lets me know the envelope holds not just a card, but also her love for me. I love this verse because it says the Holy Spirit is a seal proving my life is more than just a Hallmark card greeting. He is a seal that says, “this woman contains the amazing news of God’s salvation.” Just as I identify my Grandma Phyllis’s cards by their sticker, so God identifies me as a believer in Christ, a recipient of salvation, and his child through the seal of the Holy Spirit in my life. And the best part about God’s seal, the Holy Spirit, is that He also functions as a “deposit” from God guaranteeing the inheritance He promises to each of his children. In Matthew 25:34, Jesus says this inheritance is “the kingdom created for you from the foundation of the world.” The Holy Spirit is a pre-gift from God, a portion of that kingdom that exists on Earth right now, ensuring each of us that God’s promise is a part of our lives at this moment. We can depend on the Holy Spirit to remind us of this truth until Jesus returns and establishes that promised kingdom.

grace

july 24, 2007

Many of our society’s cultural ideals and values that are found among many Americans today grate against the ideals and values stressed in the Bible. One of the most problematic biblical ideals is grace, an undeserved gift or favor. Ephesians 2:8 states that we are “saved by grace”, but instead I personally treat this verse as if the bible were saying we were “saved by a loan”. When I sin, I find myself laboring to pay God back by mentally adding on more to the loan. And if I lead a bible study or share my faith with someone I view it as merely doing my duty; while on the outside, however, I like to appear as if I have it all together. Appearing far from broken. The reality is, we can never pay God back. He never intended us to. God bore the weight of our sins, past, present and future, not so he could become a ‘salvation-banker’, managing and collecting on His many loans but so that we would have a way to connect with the King of the universe and glorify Him. James 1:17 says “Every good and perfect gift is from above”, and a gift is not something you try to pay back; it is something you acknowledge with appreciation and joy. Just as God has given us grace, let us give grace to those around us. When we recognize how greatly we need grace, perhaps it will become easier to give grace to others. God forgives us, gives us grace and blesses us as a gift; but just as He told Abram in Genesis 12:2 “I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” Suggested reading: The Ragamuffin Gospel , The Cost of Discipleship.

july 25, 2007

god’s character

faith

july 26, 2007

Deuteronomy 31:8 “The Lord himself will go before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forget you.”

“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand.”—Daniel 3:17

Often times when I sin and rebel, I can get the attitude that because I went against the Lord, He won’t love me as much or answer the prayers I place before Him. However, these are lies. It is important to remember that He is not a fair-weather God. He will love us no matter what we do and how we perform. He forever remains faithful to us.

Read Daniel 3

The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; Therefore, I will hope in him!” Lamentations 3:22-24

In Daniel 3, we find three young Jewish boys in a serious bind. King Nebuchadnezzar has issued this decree saying that everyone in the whole world has to bow down to worship a massive gold statue, and that anyone in the world who doesn’t will be thrown into a blazing furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednago decide not to bow down to the image of gold, and the king finds out, freaks out, and says turn up the flames. Nebuchadnezzar is extremely vain and egotistical, so when he asks the three boys, “what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”, he’s not really expecting an answer. His question is rhetorical. But Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego reply that the God they serve is able to save them from the flames. Moreover, they tell the king that, even if God doesn’t rescue them, they will never serve his gods or worship an image of gold. Take a minute to think about that. These boys know that they will be thrown into a furnace for what they are doing. These boys know that Nebuchadnezzar is serious. They know that they will end up in the furnace for what they are doing. And they still step out on faith and trust that God will save them. These boys trust God enough to wager their lives for Him. Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:39 that “whoever loses his life for my sake will find it”. We must be willing to lay down our whole lives for God. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednago did, and when they were thrown into the furnace, they were greeted by “a son of the gods” who kept them unharmed. They exercised faith and in return met Jesus. Will you do the same?

july 27, 2007

service/humility

1 Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them- yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” As a Pharisee, Paul had captured and persecuted Christians. Once God changed Paul’s heart and he became a Christian, Paul felt so unworthy to be an apostle. I think it’s easy for us as Christians to realize our inadequacies. However, humility in God’s eyes can be very different than the way man views humility. True humility isn’t convincing ourselves that we are worthless. In fact, it’s the complete opposite. True humility is recognizing how God is working in us and praising God for this. Paul recognizes in this verse that he has worked hard. However, he also stresses the fact he only accomplished things due to God’s grace and kindness that had been given to him freely. Oswald Chambers, author of My Utmost for His Highest, states it eloquently. “The things that sound humble before God may sound the opposite before men. To say Thank God, I know I am saved and sanctified in the sight of God the acme of humility, it means you have so completely abandoned yourself to God that you know He is true. Never bother your head as to whether what you say sounds humble before men or not, but always be humble before God, and let Him be all in all.” By the grace of God, we are not worthless. Praise God that by giving our whole selves to God, He will fulfill His purpose for our lives.

purity

july 28, 2007

1 Thessalonians 4:3 “For this is the will of God, your sanctification:…For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.” When discussing the notion of purity, sexual purity is often the most talked about idea and the first thing that comes to mind. While this is certainly of great importance, living a pure life extends beyond merely remaining sexually pure and involves every aspect of life. As Christians, we are called to live a life just as Christ lived, a God-glorifying life unblemished by sin, a life in which we “walk in the light” and in which “there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5-9). In fact, we undergo the process of purification by accepting the atonement offered through the blood of Christ (Hebrews 9:14). This idea of purification continues throughout the life of a believer and is known as the process of sanctification. According to the Westminster Shorter Catechism, sanctification is “the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness” (Q. 35). Sanctification in essence is growth in the Christian life, and God works in those whom He claims as His own to conform them “to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29). For those that have accepted the sacrifice Christ made on Calvary, God promises that His Spirit will continually be at work within them in transforming them to become increasingly Christlike as they continue their walk in Him. Take some time today to thank God for the gift of His Spirit. Reflect on the ways in which His sanctification is evident in your own life, and ask Him to reveal more ways in which you can grow in Christ.

july 29, 2007

identity

2 Corinthians 5:20,21 Ephesians 2:10 Christ became our sin for us. Take a minute to do this exercise to more fully grasp this: On a scap of paper, write out a sin you have committed this week in this format: (Your name) _______________________________. Now cross out your name from the sentence and replace it with “Jesus Christ.” Jesus took our sin upon Himself; God the Father looked at Him on the cross as if He had committed all the sins which you committed. Jesus bore your sin not only so that you could be forgiven and spend eternity with God, but so that you could have a new identity now--the righteousness of God. This righteousness enables you to abandon ‘self’ when it gets in the way of serving Christ. A few years ago, I went on a week-long trip to Mexico with a youth group I was helping lead. We were going to be building houses and would have no showers and only outhouses and be sleeping in tents. The youth pastor gave us the best word of encouragement. He said, “Remember, you don’t have to survive.” He didn’t mean physically; he meant that in leading the trip, we were being called to die to ourselves and expend ourselves for the teenagers we were leading. It was such an amazing week of seeing God work through us. I am sure you have experienced something similar! What “good works” might God be calling you to right now? Are you trying to survive or willing to “die to self” and allow Christ to live His resurrected life through you. He created you to be His ambassador and for many good works!

perserverance

july 30, 2007

James 1:2-4, ESV (emphasis added) “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” It’s no secret that life can be rough sometimes. While what’s thrown at people will vary throughout the course of this life, everybody has their own struggles and trials, and it’s these hardships that bring out our true character. We can either let these things get us down and break us, or we can rely on God and trust that He is in total control of the situation. James goes so far as to say that we should consider trials joyful experiences because they bring about steadfastness and perseverance if handled with the proper Christian mindset, which in turn perfects our faith and builds up our trust in the Lord. Paul likewise writes that should “rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (Romans 5:3-4). This hope that comes as a result of a perseverant Christian’s trials is the hope of the glory of God, the hope that sustains us and presses us on to reaching new depths of Christ’s love and power. The ultimate example of perseverance can be seen in the life of Jesus Christ Himself: He, “for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). Similarly, we have glory beyond compare laid out in front of us that far exceeds any sufferings or trials here on earth if only we persevere in the name of the Lord (Romans 8:18), for we in fact are heirs with Christ to the kingdom of God (Romans 8:17). So be strong. Trust in the Lord. Persevere in His name, “that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

july 31, 2007

discipleship

Discipleship is a total commitment to the Lord and requires the following steps: 1.) Follow Me Matthew 16: 24 - Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” The first challenge to the Disciples of Christ was to follow him by observing and learning from him. Basically, this is our most fundamental responsibility and commitment to the Lord. By spending time with God we can get to know him and start having a personal relationship with him. 2.) Be Fishers of Men Matthew 4:19 - “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” Here, Jesus casts a vision for the Disciples new life in Christ. After following Christ, we will come to trust in him. Because we trust in Christ, we will willingly accept the responsibility he gives us to spread the gospel and draw those around us to Christ, like a fisherman who draws fish into his boat with nets. 3.) Forsake Yourself Luke 14: 27-33 (verse 33) “… any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” Forsake means to give up, to quit, to relinquish. As disciples, we are willing and ready to give up everything we have to stand up and share the gospel. Matthew 19:21 hits on the same thing. As followers of Christ, we go where he calls us, when he calls us. We as college students are willing to leave our families, just to live out the call that Christ has for our lives. 4.) Feed My Sheep John 21: 15-19 - “Feed my lambs…. Take care of my sheep…. Feed my sheep…” We see here that Simon son of John, continually responds to Jesus saying “you know that I love you.” Do you love Jesus? Loving Jesus is tested with our willingness to serve him and commit our lives to him.

brokenness

august 1, 2007

Daniel 3 “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if He doesn’t, Your Majesty can be sure that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” (emphasis mine) Let us not be mistaken about God’s power. When we are going through tough times in our lives, we may doubt that God has the power to save us like he saved Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Since God has the power to raise Jesus from the dead, then we can have full confidence that He can save us from the trials that we are going through. However, look at how the three men in this passage replied to Nebuchadnezzar. “But even if He doesn’t…” These men knew in their hearts where their allegiance stood, and that was with the Lord! No matter what they faced, they were not going to back down from their faith. Sure, fiery furnaces aren’t exactly popular today, but you can be sure that you will go through trials when you live out your faith in Christ. Let us become so confident in our Lord that we know He can save us from any trial, “but even if He doesn’t” we will stand with resolve for our true King.

august 2, 2007

prayer/fasting

God has taught me this year that, by choosing to pray and fast, we are showing our reliance upon him. We acknowledge that it is not our desires or actions that bring our friends to know Him, or bring about His will in difficult times. God’s mercy and compassion are qualities in which we put our faith. At first it might seem that the act of praying and fasting is passive, but in reality, it allows for God’s action more than any other approach. By literally experiencing God as your bread and your sustenance, we learn to seek Him to meet our needs during and after a fast, rather than finding fulfillment for ourselves. This discipline, coupled with continual communication with God, will transform your heart and allow for you to see God’s will carried out in the lives of the friends and family for which you pray. For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. Romans 9:15-17 We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 Build these habits into your lifestyle as you listen to the Lord’s voice. Come before him with the bold intention to see Him move, but also to be be completely surrendered and in reliance upon Him. As soon as you step out, I promise God will meet you there and change your world.

fellowship

august 3, 2007

Ecclesiastes 4:10-12 Solomon starts the book of Ecclesiastes declaring “Completely useless! Everything is useless!” (Eccl 1:2) Clearly, Solomon is not out to share the many worldly things that he has been impressed by, because he has experienced them all and concluded that they are useless! But in the midst of declaring the worthlessness of wisdom, fun, wealth, fame and power, there is one topic that stands out: friendship. Why are two people better than one? Because they get more done together, they can help each other up, keep each other warm, and defend themselves together. It all seems pretty obvious, but I think Solomon is really calling us to dig deeper. God has given each of us unique gifts and abilities, and through teamwork we can make use of our personal strengths to accomplish feats that would be daunting on our own. God has placed the friends you have in your life for a reason! He’s not expecting you to take-on the world alone, but to share the unique gifts we’ve each been given to compliment one another. Two people, together, truly glorify the unique gifts God has given each of us! Two people are better than one, yet a rope that is woven of three stings is hard to break. Why three all of sudden? Because Solomon wants us to be aware that Jesus Christ is with us at all times and through every relationship. Christ desires to be woven into each friendship that we make. Not only to be a part of it; but to be the central thread that intertwines the others. If our friendships are woven, like a rope held tight through Christ, we will be hard to break. That strength is what Christ desires for us, and it can be found through fellowship with others!

august 4, 2007

truth/god’s word

John 17:17 Jesus is often found praying and talking to the Father, looking for guidance and asking blessing on those in His life. In this verse, Jesus is praying to the Father, just before He is arrested. He is earnestly praying for his disciples, asking God to protect them when the time comes for Him to go to the Father. Jesus is asking that God sanctify them in the truth, which is God’s Word. To sanctify means to set apart for sacred use. The disciples are very dear to Jesus and he wants nothing more than for them to know God’s truth and be able to live and testify to it when He is gone. Jesus has taught the disciples that everything He says ultimately comes from the Father. Thus the disciples are aware of the power and truth behind the Word of God. Just as it was Jesus’ purpose on earth to speak and teach about the truth that is the Word of God, so to the disciples are sent out to bear witness of this same truth. They are to “make disciples of all nations,” (Mt 28:19) to spread the TRUTH. We are called, just as Christ called his disciples, and we are the voices of this same truth in our world today. We must believe God’s word as the truth in order to be effective witnesses to unbelievers. Jesus wants us to be sanctified by the truth, so that we can continue to expand His kingdom. Do you believe that God’s Word is true? In what ways do you use it as a guide for your life? When you read God’s Word, take the time to meditate on how His instructions and words for his people thousands of years ago still remain true and applicable to our lives today.

evangelism/witnessing august 5, 2007 Philippians 1:9-10 Romans 10:15a First, look at Philippians 1:9-10. Love must be the foundation for evangelism, and really, the entirety of our relationship with Christ. In order to live well, we must first love well. Paul says his prayer is that the church of Christ may increase in their outpouring of love (which ultimately leads to sharing the gospel) as they grow in their knowledge of Christ. The word knowledge in this instance specifically means the knowledge of possession of salvation and moral excellence in response. It is by this knowledge of Christ and of our salvation in Christ that we may approve to that which is excellent. What then does it look like to be excellent in sharing the “good news” of Christ and His love? Now, let us examine the verse Romans 10:15a. Beautiful seems to be an adjective a bit out of place here. It is a figure of speech, that is quite clear, and it is meant to be an encouragement to the people of the Roman church as they share their faith. If you were to examine the manner of encouragement with which the author of this statement typically aligns, you would know Paul is not usually the cheerleading type. There a great deal more depth to these encouraging words, so let us not be ignorant and dwell solely on the feelings they evoke. Know, first of all, that the word beautiful (Horalos in Greek) means “time, indicating timely, fair, proper, good timing.” This relates to our first verse in that, by our ever increasing knowledge of Christ’s personhood we may abound with His love for those around us and possess a beauty or perfect sense of godly timing when sharing the gospel out of love. Examine your heart, do you believe that it abounds (meaning “to have so much of something it’s overflowing”) in love for the world and is increasing daily in the knowledge or recognition of Christ and your salvation? Do you allow this love to be the thing that dictates how and when you share the gospel with people; not allowing your fear to hold you back from telling others about the hope we have in Christ, or your pride to push you forward in speaking to a loved, future child of God without the beauty of His gospel and His love?

august 6, 2007

holy spirit

Romans 8:11

Sometimes I feel so powerless and unworthy. It’s those days that I turn to Romans 8:11 which says “and if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you.” Did you catch that? The same God that miraculously raised Christ from the dead lives in us through His Spirit, the Holy Spirit! God cares about us so much that He is giving us a part of Him so that we have the power and the ability to do whatever God is calling us to do. He wouldn’t call us to do something that we aren’t capable of doing, whether it’s leading a bible study, raising support for a mission trip, going on that mission trip and sharing God’s truth, discipleship, or standing up for your God in a class or small group. I challenge you to take this truth and apply it everyday in your life. There will be times that you feel powerless and it’s in those times that you can hold God’s truth and trust that His word is true and use the power He has given us through His Holy Spirit. I constantly have to remind myself of this but I have found that when I trust in the Holy Spirit to give me power and courage to do something that is in God’s will that God never fails. Life without God is like a power tool with a battery. Batteries will always wear out. Life with God is like a power tool with a cord. The Holy Spirit is our power cord; He keeps us connected to the only reliable source for our lives.

god’s character

august 7, 2007

The Bible says my King is a seven-way king He’s the King of the Jews; that’s a racial king He’s the King of Israel; that’s a national King He’s the King of Righteousness He’s the King of the Ages He’s the King of Heaven He’s the King of Glory He’s the King of kings, and He’s the Lord of lords. That’s my King. Well....I wonder, do you know Him? David said, “The Heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork.” My King is a sovereign King. No means of measure can define His limitless love. No far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shoreless supply. No barrier can hinder Him from pouring out His blessings. He’s enduringly strong. He’s entirely sincere. He’s eternally steadfast. He’s immortally graceful. He’s imperially powerful. He’s impartially merciful. Do you know Him? He’s the greatest phenomenon that has ever crossed the horizon of this world. He’s God’s Son. He’s the sinner’s Savior. He’s the centerpiece of civilization. He stands in the solitude of Himself. He’s august and He’s unique. He’s unparalleled. He’s unprecedented. He is the loftiest idea in literature. He’s the highest personality in philosophy. He is the supreme problem in higher criticism. He’s the fundamental doctrine of true theology. He is the cardinal necessity for spiritual religion. He’s the miracle of the age. He’s -- yes He is -- He is the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him. -S.M Lockridge (there’s a lot more to the quote and its just as good, look it up online and let it be a blessing for your day!) PSALM 19

august 8, 2007

service/humility

purity

august 9, 2007

Philippians 2:1-11

Joshua 3:5

This passage has been very encouraging to me, yet challenging at the same time. Our attitudes should be the same as Christ’s attitude—in everything! What would that look like if your attitude exemplified Christ’s every day? What would be different? The passage says that Jesus made himself nothing. How can we do that in our lives? How can we humble ourselves and serve others like that? The capacity to love and serve humbly comes from our attitudes: we should have attitudes of Christ, of love, like in John 13:3435. What does it look like to really love someone? How can we love our friends, families and professors? Serve them! Serve them by loving them with a 1 Corinthians 13 kind of love. Paul says “and now I will show you the most excellent way” referring to the most excellent way to serve others with our spiritual gifts: loving them. What are some of your spiritual gifts? What are some ways you can use them to love and serve people better? Think of some people you do a great job of loving and serving. Now make a list of people you have a hard time serving them through love. I challenge you to pray for those people and watch as God changes your heart toward them and makes it easier to serve and care about them the way He does.

When the Israelites were crossing the Jordan, Joshua’s advice to the men and women were to “consecrate themselves for the Lord will do amazing things among you.” Joshua 3:5. To consecrate means to make or declared sacred, or holy, and holy means have a spiritually pure quality. Basically, the Lord wanted the Israelites to be pure so he could use them, not even to just use them, he wanted to do incredible things with them. God has ordained us all to be “set apart”, and when believers act like the sanctified people they are, God is released to do powerful wonders among them. Without purity though, there is no power- no way for God to do amazing things amongst us. Sounds easy enough eh? Purity, got it . . flee from sin, I can do that- I’m a Christian and I’m supposed to hate sin . . . then why is it so hard sometimes? Well, first off, our flesh. Even though we are renewed with the mind of Christ, we still have our flesh that desires to do fleshly thingslike sexual immorality, jealousy, selfish ambition, drunkenness . . . the list could go on and on. With a lot of these things, it is a lot easier to be jealous than to love, it is a lot more fun to drink than to be the one with the Sprite- being pure isn’t going to be easy. Secondly, Satan hates purity. Why? Let’s look back at Joshua, if being pure means that the Lord can use us in powerful ways, then you better believe that Satan will try everything he can to keep you from staying pure- because the last thing he wants is for you to make a difference- whether it be in your dorm, your family, or in your fraternity or sorority. He will tempt you by having people invite you to that party- because he knows you struggle with alcohol, or he will tempt you by giving you and your girlfriend or boyfriend a night alone in the dorm room. We have to fight to stay pure- it is a constant battle. So how do we approach this battle, how do we prepare to stay pure, so we can be used by God? Well, in Psalms 119:9, we are instructed to live according to the Word and to seek the Lord with all our hearts to stay pure. In Philippians, Paul tells us to think about pure things (Phil. 4:8) because all action begins as a thought. In Genesis, Joseph was chased by a maid saying “come to bed with me!” and when she grabbed his coat, he fled, leaving his coat with her. How crazy is that? We really do literally have to “flee temptation.” We need to do all we can to stay pure in thought and mind and action. Is this going to be easy? Unfortunately, we live in a world that is not for us, but against us- so no, it will not be easy. But take heart, the Lord is here to help us- David cried out for the Lord to give him clean hands and a pure and steadfast heart. We need to be praying for a heart that desires purity, because although there are going to be times when we are greatly tempted to sin, the Lord wants us to come to Him- remember he was tempted in every way so he knows how you are feeling. He knows how torn you are as Christian- wanting to stay pure in a world that tells you to indulge in all your desires, but know that if you do seek the Lord, and you do stay pure, the Lord will work in your life in ways that will amaze you.

august 10, 2007

identity

I Corinthians 13:12 All of I Corinthians 13 is great, but check out the second half of verse 12. “Now I know in part, then I will know fully, just as I am fully known.” I have read this chapter many times, heard it read in just about every wedding I have ever been to, but I have never had this part of the chapter stick out to me until this year. I don’t know if you are tracking with me, but if you are, how amazing is this? YOU ARE FULLY KNOWN. For me, this rocked my world. The whole chapter is about the kind of love that God has, this perfect love that really none of us have fully experienced on this earth. Then he (Paul) follows up this description of love with a little phrase about how we are fully known. Hold on a second and think about that: all the crap in our lives, all the greed, the lust, the lies, the pride… it is fully known and yet God still loves us with that perfect love. You want to know what your identity is as a child of God? It is that you are someone that is fully known and fully loved. Consider your closest friends; they know more about you than most but don’t know everything. God knows it all: the thoughts you are ashamed of, the actions that you know you shouldn’t have done, the stupid things you have said. He knows it all and He still loves you. I don’t know about you guys, but when I am aware of my friends/family’s love for me, it changes who I am, how I act, how I feel. When you are aware of your identity as a known, loved child of God, how does that change you?

perserverance

august 11, 2007

“What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all-how will he not also along with him, graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:31-32 As Christians, we will go through some of the most painful hardships in our lives and truly struggle to find God in the midst of our suffering. I know there is a specific area of struggle in my life, which continually battles with my spiritual walk and connection with the Lord at times. I get so exhausted from fighting the same battle time and time again, that my body literally aches from the pain, and therefore I question where God is in the middle of my suffering. It is in times like these where I must cling to the truth that God is for me and persevere through my painful hardship. Romans 8:31-32 states, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” We have proof in verse 32 that God is for us because He sacrificed his one and only son to show his love for us. This is God’s ultimate expression of love for us, which should give us the hope to persevere through trials. The Lord works for the good of those who love Him, so we don’t have to doubt our relationship with the Lord when faced with trials because God is for us. Absolutely nothing in all of creation can separate us from the love He has for us whether happy or struggling. So today, in the midst of your struggles think about what it would look like for you to cling to the truth that God is for you and wants to be there for you during your hardship.

august 12, 2007

discipleship

2 Timothy 2:2 “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” ave you wondered what Miami will be like after you graduate? Think about your time here at Miami, think about the relationships you’ve formed, the activities you were involved with, and the events you’ve attended. We all hope that in some way what we’ve done here over four years will have had some significance that continues to carry on after we leave. In this passage, Paul wants to ensure that all the work he has done for the glory of God will continue even past the point of his ultimate death after he wrote these words. Paul wanted to entrust Timothy with his teachings and his will to see God be glorified. But it didn’t stop there, Paul also instructs Timothy to entrust his teachings to other men, who will also be “qualified to teach others.” Paul is not just leaving an impact in Timothy, Paul is leaving a legacy that will continue for generations beyond himself. This is how Jesus worked. Why wasn’t Jesus, the Son of God, proclaiming himself to everyone person he met? It’s because he knew that in the end, in order for his message to spread across the world, he needed to fully invest in twelve apostles. And even past that, Jesus specifically invested significantly more time in three of those twelve apostles! See Jesus knew that if he continued to pour himself into a few people, if he continued to guide them and instruct them, that after he died on the cross, those few people would turn around and spread the message of salvation to more people and at the same time, do the same thing their Teacher did to them, invest in others to continue to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ! There is no magic formula to discipleship, it involves time, a desire to leave a legacy and spread God’s word, and someone to invest into. Discipleship is the ultimate way to reach Miami and the world! I challenge you to think of a few people that you want to invest your life into next semester.

brokenness

august 13, 2007

Deuteronomy 4:30-31 “When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and obey him. For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath.” It wasn’t until my first or second year in high school did the concept of “praying for brokenness” became familiar to me. I’d heard a sermon in church talking about how we as Christians could not expect to be free from trials, and that Christ’s death on the cross did not result in an easy life for Christians. I can recall at first thinking the concept of praying for brokenness to be such a silly idea , “be careful what you wish for ,” I thought. There’s no point in wishing brokenness on ourselves, right? I never expected the Christian life to be trouble-free, but I hadn’t ever imagined that rejoicing in my suffering meant praying that God would break my heart. Thinking more on this, it seems ridiculous that God would wish such a thing or grant such a prayer. In our human mindsets, what comes to mind when you think of a “broken heart?” Unreturned phone calls? Crying yourself to sleep? What I came to realize though, is that the only reason God would want us to have a broken heart is so that He could come in. Praying for brokenness means letting go of the things we think are important, and trusting the Lord in His sovereignty. “When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the later days, you will return to the Lord your God and obey his voice. For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you...” Deut. 4:30-31. There are so many things we cling to in life, so many things we hold to be of such importance, and so many things that don’t honor God, yet continue to be so essential to us. Are you ready for your heart to be broken?

august 14, 2007

prayer/fasting

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Be joyful always; pray continuously; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” One of the topics we have been talking about in my bible study this semester is prayer: when to pray, how to pray, and what to pray for. Throughout the semester, guys have opened up and shared that they pray in the morning, when walking to class, or only when something goes wrong. These are all good times to pray, but this verse in Thessalonians tells us to “pray continuously.” The Lord wants to be on our minds and in our hearts all day, every day. Continuous prayer encourages us to walk closer with the Lord and have him be a part of every decision we make throughout the day. Prayer, in and of itself, is a very personal action. People pray in many different mediums and styles. Some people just talk as if God is sitting across the table. Others are very formal when they pray as a sign of respect to God. Still others might sing or journal. The Lord understands and hears all prayers no matter how they come to Him. As we pray it is good to give the Lord thanks for all the gifts and talents He has bestowed upon us. Moreover, it is good to ask the Lord for the desires of our heart. When we ask God for help, it encourages us to realize that we are completely dependent upon the Lord for everything in this world. Asking the Lord for anything, let’s God know that we believe that we need him for everything in our life. Therefore, let us pray continuously. How do you pray, or connect, with God? When do you find it hard to pray? How can you challenge yourself to pray continuously?

fellowship

august 15, 2007

James 5:16 We have so many means of communication these days: email, IM, cell phone, texting, Facebook, etc. Although these things are a fun way to talk to friends, they are indirect methods of contacting one another. I love the fact that God created us to be in a relationship with him, but he also intended for us to be in relationships with each other—fellowship. Jesus himself had fellowship with his disciples when he walked the Earth so we know that it is important. We need to remember to take time and share our lives with our Christian friends, so we can learn from them and help each other. James 5:16 says this: “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” So get out there and pray for each other, and you will be healed!

august 16, 2007

truth/god’s word

John 16:19-33 There’s a lot of good stuff in this passage, but focus on verse 32. We’ve left school, we’re at our own homes, and it’s easy to feel alone and apart from God without our usual fellowship and friends. But don’t worry! It’s in the periods of loneliness that we most abandon ourselves to God and learn how to depend upon Him completely. The more I read the biographies of those who have achieved great things for God, the more I realize that their deep knowledge of Him often came out of moments of profound loneliness. It was in such moments that “the God of remarkable surprises” revealed Himself and gave them an understanding of His grace and power such as they could never otherwise have known. Is it not true that God’s glory bursts through most powerfully when the sky is at its darkest? Does not His strength uphold us most when we are feeling weak and inadequate? And does not His love penetrate most deeply when we feel unloved or isolated from others? Make no mistake about it - God’s way is best, even though a thousand hardships beset the path. You may feel alone this summer and feel like it’s difficult to walk with God, but you are NOT alone! God is with you even when you feel low. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” John 14:1 (NIV) Work through those hardships this summer; put all of your trust in God and step out in faith. If you step up and face your hardships, whatever they may be, you give God a chance to work in an amazing way. Remember that when we are walking with Him we may feel lonely, but we are never alone. Thank Him for that today!

evangelism/witnessing august 17, 2007 *Pray for the Lord to speak to you and to teach your heart through this Scripture, that you would be willing to apply whatever He chooses to show you. Romans 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the Gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” Reaching out to people with the goal of sharing the Good News of Christ with them is not about our ability to persuade people to like us, or even to persuade people to believe in God. Rather, it is about God’s power to soften hearts to draw people to Himself, we are just His tools to share His loving message. How have you experienced God’s power in your life, especially with your friends who are not believers? Are you fearful about sharing you faith? What about it scares you? 1 Thessalonians 2:8 “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well because you had become so dear to us.” > People respond to love! When you take the time to share your life with someone who does not know Christ, they will be exposed to Christ’s love through you. It is only natural to connect with the people you are sharing life with on a deep level and share what is most important to you, Jesus Christ. Are there any nonbelievers that you are sharing your life with? If not, are there nonbelievers around you that you could be sharing life with? What does it look like to share life with others: physically and spiritually?

august 18, 2007

prayer/fasting

I suggest reading these short passages before you read this, or use them as a guide later! Colossians 3 John 10:10 Galatians 5:22-23

John 14-16 John 15:5 Acts 1:8

When it comes to being a Christian there are two different ways people tend to live: The first one is the Christian who seems eternally strong with the ability to stay firm in their faith and live life abundantly. This is a Christian with the Christ centered life. The other way Christians tend to live is as “Worldly Christian.” Basically this is the person who professes to be a Christian, but isn’t experiencing the abundant and full life that is promised in John 10:10. When most people initially receive Christ they are really excited, but after a few short weeks they resort back to their old ways. The Christian life becomes boring to them, and they turn back to the things that brought them comfort and satisfaction before. So what does this mean? A Christ centered Christian is filled and living by the power of the Holy Spirit, and the “Worldly Christian” is living on his/her own efforts. The Holy Spirit is a way we can have the abundant and wonderful life Christ has promised and made for us. The Holy Spirit lives through us and uses our bodies to do wonderful things. The Bible makes it very clear that in our own efforts we will inevitably fail. So how do I become filled with the Holy Spirit? You simply ask God to fill you with his Spirit and live through every day. Suggested way to ask and pray DAILY to be filled with the Holy Spirit: First come to the Lord by confessing your sins. Then ask through faith to be filled with the Holy Spirit Ask God to direct all of your ways of the day Lastly pray through the problems and things that need his attention, praying that the Holy Spirit will guide you.

Autumn Advance 2007 Freshman Move-In: Friday, August 17th • Tex (Kyle Bateman) Freshman Survival Kits Uptown: Saturday, August 18th • Melissa Sylvestor and Caitlin Sarver Movement Meeting at Oxford Bible Fellowship: Monday, August 20th at 6:30p.m. • Shepherd Team Dining Hall Surveys: Tuesday and Wednesday, August 21-22 from 5-7p.m. and sorting 7-11p.m. • Kristen Lazaroff, Christi Ledden Quad Cookouts: Thursday, August 24th at 6p.m. • Kristen Lazaroff, Christi Ledden 1st Reverb at Cook Field!!!!!!!!: Thursday, August 24th at 8p.m. • Annette Davidson for signs Peffer Park Pork Party: Friday, August 24th at 5p.m. (Freshman free, upperclassman $4) • Kailey Temmer and Brittany Radic Women’s Progressive Dinner: Friday, September 7th • Kimberly Gross, Chelesea Hande, Allison Smith Men’s paintball and Chili Dinner: Friday, September 7th • Sean Oswald, Eric Frank THREE STUDENT LEADERS: KATY PERRY: 513-600-1897 RACHEL WILLIAMS: 513-262-6700 DAN CINADR: 330-256-2887