Musings from My Sun Porch

Tag: jesus

  • The Remedy for an Out-of-Control Life

    “My life is out of control!”  How many times have you said those words or at least thought them?  I’ve had many of those days throughout my life, and even now, being retired is not without its challenges.  There are always the routines of life, such as doing laundry, cleaning house, and putting food on the table.  Those things alone can be exhausting, but when we add family activities, Bible studies, and serving opportunities, our lives seem out of control. 

    Jesus’ disciples felt that same kind of stress. “The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.  Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat…” (Mark 6:30 – 31a NIV84). Did you catch that?  Their lives were so out of control that they didn’t even have time to eat!  Fortunately, Christ had the solution. “…he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place” (Mark 6:31b – 32 NIV84).

    Out-of-control lives are often the norm in our fast-paced world.  The question is, how will we handle the stress that life brings?  Unfortunately, our sinful nature often evokes grumbling and complaining, just as the Israelites did in the desert (Numbers 14:26, 27), or we might throw a “pity party” as Elijah did (I Kings 19:1 – 4). However, Christ reminds us that there is a better solution.

    First and foremost, we must make time to spend with our Savior.  Even Jesus sought time with His Heavenly Father (Mark 1:35).  How much more important is it for us to spend time with our Father? The Scripture reminds us that “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak… those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:29, 31 NIV84).  Time with Jesus renews us.

    In addition to our quiet time with our Savior, we also need rest.  Jesus called the disciples to a quiet place to get some rest. God set the pattern when He rested on the seventh day of His creation (Genesis 2:2).  Throughout Scripture, He emphasized the need for rest.  The Sabbath, while primarily a day of worship, was also a day of rest.  He ordered the Israelites to give the land a year of rest (Leviticus 25:5), and He promised to give them rest (Exodus 33:14).  Jesus renewed that promise in Matthew 11:28. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (NIV84).

    The next time you feel the walls closing in or your life spinning out of control, spend some time with your Savior and give your body some much-needed rest.  The Master will help you put things back in perspective.

    Mark 6:30 – 32; Matthew 11:28 – 30

  • The Faithfulness of God

    We often talk about our faith, the trust we have in our God and Savior.  We remember the faith of those who have gone before us and those who have instilled that same faith in us.  Faith and faithfulness are key attributes of our life in Christ.  However, we sometimes overlook our Father’s faithfulness.  We serve a faithful God!

    “Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22, 23 NIV84).

    “O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago” (Isaiah 25:1 NIV84).

    “For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does” (Psalm 33:4 NIV84).

    “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one” (II Thessalonians 3:3 NIV84).

    “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9 NIV84).

    “If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself” (II Timothy 2:13 NIV84).

    “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23 NIV84).

    “God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful (I Corinthians 1:9 NIV84).

    I can testify that my God is faithful.  He has walked with me through some of the most difficult challenges of my life.  Not only did He bring me through those trials, but He made me stronger in my faith and in my faithfulness to Him.  We can depend on His presence in our lives.  We can trust His promises.  We can be assured that the hope we have in Him is real.  He is faithful! The only question is: will we be faithful to Him?

  • Improving Our Prayer Life

    Last weekend, I attended a Prayer Conference, and today I would like to share some of the things that I learned.

    • Your prayer life will look different as you mature spiritually.  Just as we relate to people differently as we grow, we will also relate to God differently.
    • The foundation for a vibrant prayer life is understanding that God is our Father.  It is a love relationship, and answers to our prayers are our Father’s personal expression of His love for us.
    • Good Fathers both love and hold their children accountable.  Though God loves us, we must also “fear” Him, as our fear is an acknowledgment of God as the authority over our lives.  He is a good Father, and prayer is how we express our understanding of Him. 
    • Rejoice in the Lord! We should be so enthralled with our Father that we constantly look for reasons to give Him thanks.
    • Confession and repentance should be “God-focused.”  If our emphasis is on our guilt, we are “me-focused.”  Being sorry that we have grieved our Father moves us toward a “God-focused” repentance.
    • Remember that Jesus answered every crazy question the Disciples asked.  His answers were not always what they wanted, but He answered.  He will answer us also! His answers will be such that we can understand who He is and what His purpose is.
    • Our God, who hears our requests, is present, all-powerful, all-knowing, and perfectly good!
    • We need to pray for one another.  When we pray together and God answers our requests, it creates a community of gratitude.  You cannot see God move at the level you desire unless you are praying with and for others.
    • Working with God is essential to a relationship with Him.  God answers at any level of spiritual maturity, but power in prayer occurs when we work with our Father in the assignments He gives us.
    • Working with God can change the way we pray, as it changes our outlook as we consider what we can do for Him.  It also causes us to listen more, and we are more likely to hear what God is saying and accept His answer. 

    I hope this message will help each of us to have a more vibrant and powerful prayer life.

  • Give Thanks!

    “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.  Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations” (Psalm 100 NIV84).

    Yesterday, by government proclamation, we celebrated Thanksgiving Day.  For most of us, it was a day of fellowship with family and friends and a time of gorging ourselves on all our favorite family dishes, including the desserts.  Hopefully, it included a Thanksgiving prayer somewhere along the way.

    Yet, I can’t help but wonder how many of us sincerely entered God’s presence with thanksgiving. How many of us took the time to praise His Holy Name and consider the blessings in our lives?

    I ask those questions of myself as well, so I want to take a moment and mention just a few of the ways that God has blessed me.

    I have a family who loves me and cares for me.  They bring joy into my life in so many ways. They are also a tremendous help to me.

    I have three very special friends who make me laugh, encourage me, and keep me accountable.  They have helped me grow so much.

    I have so many other friends who share my love for God’s Word.  They have taught me so much as we study together.  They also bring laughter and fellowship, which we all need.

    I have great neighbors who are Christ followers and who look out for each other.

    I have been blessed with great health despite my age, and I count that as a blessing from God every day.

    I have found renewed purpose in life by using the talents and abilities that God has given me to serve Him.

    This list could go on and on, but I think you will get the picture.  Maybe it’s time that you start your own list.  Count your blessings and see what God has done! 

    I Thessalonians 5:18

  • Continuing the Battle for Christ – Week 9

    How should we respond to persecution?

    I recently heard a speaker ask this question: “What if Joseph had been released from Pharaoh’s prison? What if he wasn’t there when Pharaoh had a dream that needed interpretation?” (Genesis 39:1 – 41:41).

    That same thought applies to our persecuted brothers and sisters.  “… he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live” (Acts 17:26b NIV84). God has them there for a reason.  Those who are persecuted are in unique positions to witness for Christ, often to those who have never heard the name of Jesus.  Pray that they will be bold in their witness so that many of their persecutors may be won to Christ!     

    How should we pray for the lost?

    “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express” (Romans 8:26 NIV84).

    Too often, we don’t know how or what to pray for those we love who are lost.  Remember that the Holy Spirit can intercede on their behalf.  Ask Him to show you how and when to speak Truth, and to soften the hearts and open the ears of those who need to hear and accept the Truth.

    Leadership Prayer Focus This Week: State Senators

    “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.  The authorities that exist have been established by God” (Romans 13:1 NIV84).

    Together with the State Representatives, our State Senators govern the State.  They enact laws, create state budgets, and have the power of veto over the Governor’s actions.

    Pray that: They will recognize that they serve at God’s pleasure, not their own.

    They will turn away from political expediency and instead determine what is best for all their constituents.

    They will be fiscally responsible.

    They will serve with honesty and integrity.

    For all our leaders, pray that if they do not already know Christ, they will accept Him as Lord.  For those who do know Christ, pray that they will stand firm on His Truth and His Word, never compromising it or minimizing it.

    “Pray continuously” (I Thessalonians 5:17 NIV84)

  • One Door

    A new grocery store recently opened in my neighborhood.  I’ve been told that it’s the largest of its kind in the United States.  I can’t confirm that, but I do know that you can easily get your steps in if you try walking up and down every aisle in the store.

     This morning, as I was checking out, a lady who had checked out before me stopped in the aisle, looking both left and right, obviously confused.  Finally, she said to the cashier, “Where is the door?”  At first, that sounds like a stupid question, but because this store is laid out differently than most, it wasn’t stupid at all.  Most stores of this kind have two doors.  One leads to one side of the store, and the other is at the exact opposite side of the store.  This new grocery store has two doors, but they both lead to the same area of the store, effectively creating one door.  Thus, the cashier’s response to the lady’s question was, “It’s that way,” pointing in the direction of the door, and then adding, “There’s only one door.” Confusing though that might be, it was accurate.  There is only one way in and out of that store

     As I thought about that this afternoon, I thought, “That’s just like heaven.”  With all the religions in the world today, we get overwhelmed with all the different ideas of how we might get to heaven. Some people believe they can reach heaven by being good.  The only problem is that no one is good.  The Scripture tells us clearly that “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 NIV84).

     Some religions think that they must make great sacrifices to appease their gods.  However, Christianity is the only religion where God sacrificed Himself for His people.  Others believe that they will be reincarnated as a different person, based on how they lived their life. 

    Unfortunately for all these misguided souls, they are all wrong. The truth is that there is only one door to eternal life, and that door is Christ!  Jesus said, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved” (John 10:9a NIV84).  Later, He also said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NIV84).  Jesus is preparing a place for His people, and He welcomes all who believe. 

    Like the grocery store that only has one door, heaven only has one door.  Jesus is that door, and He anxiously waits to invite each of us to walk through.  All He asks is that we believe that He is the Son of God and our Savior.  It doesn’t get much easier than that.

    John 3:16

    John 10:9

    John 14:6