Born for a Purpose

Who is your God? I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. Pslam 4:8 I told the story of a night a year ago that I spent in a hotel while someone tried to break into my room. Through it God taught me how to pray his Word. Praying the Word of God . There is more to that story I'd like to share with you now regarding his insights to me from Psalm 4:8 . As I stood at the hotel door in panic with someone trying to work a key on the other side, a multitude of thoughts flooded my mind. The overriding one was a sense that I was alone. Yes, of course. No one else from the list of friends was with me. But I mean really alone. The whole reason I was at this place at such an hour was because we had broken apart; my ... was gone and I had to go back to work to support myself. When a traumatic event occurs we usually want to call someone close to us for emotional support even when that person can't do a thing about it. I had no one t...

Come and See Today's Passage: Psalm 66:1-7 Key Verses: Psalm 66:1-5 For the director of music. A song. A psalm. Shout for joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious. Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing the praises of your name." Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind! Our prayers (OK, I confess, "my prayers") often lack praise. I get into the "give me" mode. "I need" mode. "I want" mode. Too often I run to the requests right after, "Heavenly Father." Here, however, the psalmist calls us from petitions to praise. This praise is not to be silent; it is to be shouted, sung and proclaimed. We are to say to God, "How awesome are your deeds!" If you are finding praise difficult, the psalmist invites you to the startin...

The church—conservative and aggressive ‘The church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.’ 1 Timothy 3:15 Suggested Further Reading: 1 Corinthians 5:9–6:11 I remember a somewhat ludicrous incident which occurred to a church in which there were great quarrellings and bickerings. The minister and the deacons, and the people, were all at arm’s length, and daggers drawn. It was determined at last that the matter should come to a settlement, and it was by mutual consent given up to the judgment of a good Christian farmer, who lived in the neighbourhood. He was to hear the case, and write an answer to be read at the next church meeting. Our friend, the farmer, sat down to write his letter; at the same time he had a letter from a steward or tenant asking advice about his farm, and by a mistake, or rather by a blessed providence as God would have it, he put the wrong letters into the envelopes, so that the letter which was intended for the church went to the steward, ...

Upheld | Psalm 63:6-11 Today’s Passage: Psalm 63:6-11 Key Verse: Psalm 63:8 I cling to you; your right hand upholds me. Picture a little child with her arms wrapped around her daddy’s neck. She is holding on for dear life, but her arms are not strong enough to hold the weight of her hanging body. As much as she wants to hold on, she just doesn't have the strength. Picture a father with his daughter hanging on. He does not stand disengaged, arms hanging at his sides. Rather, he takes his arm and puts it under the little girl. While she is clinging to his neck, he is upholding her with his hand. What a powerful picture of the Father and his child. We throw our arms around his neck and try our best to hang on, but our arms cannot support the weight of our burdens. We cannot keep our grip in the storm. Discouragement weakens our arms, but the Father’s right hand upholds his children. He supports us. He will never let go. He will never let us fall. Father, thank you fo...

Matthew 10:40–42 “Whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward” (v. 42). Fulfilling the Call to Missions Fundamental to the New Testament’s teaching on the church is that all believers have an important part to play in the extension of the kingdom of God. The body of Christ is made up of a variety of people who possess a variety of gifts (1 Cor. 12:12–31), all of which are necessary for the church to function properly. The church’s task cannot be accomplished by one individual; all of us must work together to advance the Lord’s mission. Furthermore, all who work to achieve the ends for which our Father has created His church will be rewarded, no matter the particular part they play in the kingdom’s advance. This truth is taught clearly in today’s passage, the conclusion to Christ’s missionary discourse. So far, Jesus has called His disciples to ministry and has prepared them for ...

Steps to True Repentance (continued) | Psalm 51:7-12 Today's Passage: Psalm 51:7-12 Key Verses: Psalm 51:7-9 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. David's great sin of adultery led to his great prayer for  repentance . Yesterday we noted where  true repentance  begins. Here are three more important  steps . 4.  Repentance  desires cleansing. Sin stains the soul. Only God can cleanse the heart and wash us clean. Only God can blot out our sin.  5.  Repentance  desires renewed joy. Sin burdens the soul. David feels that his bones have been crushed. He desires that God restore the joy and gladness he once knew.  6.  Repentance  desires the resolve to obey. David asks that God re-create his heart. His "old" heart got him into tro...

Steps to True Repentance Today's Passage: Psalm 51:1-6 Key Verses: Psalm 51:1-2 For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Psalm 51 is David's prayer after his great sin of adultery. Here we find ­­­­seven important  steps  to  true  repentance . Let's start with these three. 1.     Repentance  is based on the character of God. True   repentance  begins with a plea for mercy based on God's unfailing love and great compassion. We desire what we don't deserve. 2.     Repentance  acknowledges that all sin is ultimately against God. Focusing on people leads to rationalizing my sin. My spouse wasn't "meeting my needs," so I ...