Deaf Devotion 12/5/2009

“And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.” (2 Corinthians 9:8 NLT)

God is eternal and everlasting. This means He always is, was and always will be. He was before the beginning and will be here until forever. We know forever has no end in sight. God was there before eternity and will be there after forever. God is everything and everything. He spoke a word and the universe was created. God is generous in His giving. God shares everything which is more than enough. Because God is all this we must understand that His love for us is even bigger than the universe He created. He is “I AM”

Moses asked God His name to tell other people. God told Moses, “I AM that I AM.” God was everything Moses needed Him to be. Moses had everything he needed directly from God’s hand. Because of this He was God’s man to lead the people of Israel from captivity to the Promised Land.

When Moses needed proof for Pharaoh, God turned his stick into a snake, rained down hail that burned, and sent frogs and locusts to cover the land.

When Moses needed a warrior, I AM fought his battles and defeated his enemies.

When the I AM brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt, He became everything they needed. When they needed food, the I AM provided food. When they needed water, the I AM provided water. When they needed clothing during the 40 years in the wilderness, the I AM made sure that their clothes and shoes did not wear out while they were in the wilderness. The I Am was everything they needed Him to be.

Jesus even said, “Before Abraham WAS, I AM.” He also said, “I AM the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 NLT) Because of this, Jesus, in His life, death, and resurrection “tore the veil” from top to bottom. We have direct access to God through the Blood of Jesus Christ.

Our common enemy, Satan, wants us to live our life from an empty cup. He wants us to think that God’s cup of grace has dried up for us. He wants us to be disappointed with God.

Most especially, Satan wants us to feel that God is a cosmic party pooper. Satan wants us not only to think, but also believe that God is always thinking of ways to rob us of joy and peace.
Satan knows that if we start to feel negatively about God, then he can have his way with us in other areas.

But Satan can and will lie to us. God does not lie. God is the “I AM.” He cannot lie.

Take courage. Be strong. Jesus has already won the victory for us! Send Satan’s lies back to the pit where they came from and claim the truth of the promises of the Great I AM.

I AM loves us more than we know or understand.
I AM sent His Son for us.
If someone is sick, I AM.
If someone is having financial problems and does not know how to make ends meet, I AM.
If someone is hurting, I AM.
If someone is lonely, I AM.
If someone is having problems on the job, I AM.
If someone’s kids are acting in such a way that you honestly don’t know what to do, I AM.
If someone’s car is acting up, I AM.
If someone needs more knowledge of God, I AM.
If someone’s faith has been shaken through life’s experiences, I AM.
When people are talking about us and running our name in the mud, I AM.
When we fall flat on our face, I AM.
When life presses us down, I AM.
If someone needs Jesus, I AM.
No matter what we face in life, I AM.

I AM says that He IS whatever we need Him to be. He is NOT the great “I WAS.” He is NOT the great “I WILL BE.”

God always was, always will be, and is now “I AM.”

How willing are we to accept the I AM in our circumstances every day and every way?

God is Able and God is Willing. Are we?

Mid Week Deaf Devotion 12/1/2009

“We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.” 1 John 5:2-3 NLT

We have been talking about “bearing fruit” or showing we have Jesus in our heart by allowing the Holy Spirit teach us what is in the heart of Jesus. Naturally, then what is in the heart of Jesus shows in our heart and in the way we live.

This fruit bearing was never intended to be difficult. A cluster of grapes does not have to work at becoming sweet or ripe. Neither do we. The fruit-bearing in our lives is automatic if we remain in the vine. Our job is to make sure we stay attached to the vine and take advantage of all the nourishment we can.

As long as we stay true to Jesus Christ, walk in obedience to Him, and allow Him to have control over our lives, the fruit grows in us naturally and according to His time schedule.

We cannot force fruit to grow. We can only cling to Jesus Christ and choose to follow the daily leading of the Holy Spirit. Remember, God is the vinedresser, the gardener, the owner, the pruner, the planter. Jesus is the vine. The Holy Spirit is the life-giving force flowing through the vine. We are the branches attached to the vine that bear His fruit.

Talk, talk, talk, talk. Preach, preach, preach. It seems Christians can be good at talking and preaching, but often times our lives don't back up what our lips have to say. We talk about how much we love God, but we aren’t always willing to do what He says to do. Notice I said willing. The Spirit provides us everything we need to be able to do what God wants us to do. We need to be willing to do something with what The Spirit gives us.

I've heard it said, "I just don't understand the Bible. I don't know what God wants from me." Friends, it is not that difficult. We need to stop making things more difficult than they really are. God is not a math problem to be solved, but a Savior to love and serve.

That's it! Jesus summed up the Ten Commandments in just two: love God and love your neighbor. Not with a flimsy, weak-kneed, love-when-its-easy, kind of love - that is not love at all. We are to love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind and then allow His love to flow over into our relationships with others.

God's love for us is beyond what we can understand. The greatest theologians of history have sought to break down the love of God and make it understandable. Some of them have served us well with their eloquent words and descriptive definitions of God's love, but it is the Holy Spirit that reminds us we are the branches attached to the vine. The work of the Holy Spirit produces fruit in us that is the unbounded, limitless love of God that He showers on us every day.

God's love is so great that it could never be contained in the pages of a book.
God's love is so brilliant that no artist could ever capture its majesty.
God's love is so vast that no building, no matter how beautifully decorated, could ever contain it.
God's love is so deep that the deepest sea would be but a wading pool in the ocean of God's love.
God's love is so wide that there is no person on earth, no matter how vile or hate-filled, that is out of His reach.
God's love is so costly that the richest people on earth could pool their fortunes and not raise the first payment on an eternal debt.

What is even more remarkable about God's love is that it is offered to those who are undeserving, unworthy, and who possess absolutely nothing within them that is attractive.

It is not burdensome to show God’s love for everyone by showing the love Jesus Christ has for us. That is the fruit. That is the proof. That is what it’s all about.

God loves us so very much that He has provided for us a constant reminder of our security as a son or daughter of God. There is no place that we can go that God's still, small voice is not present to whisper in our ear, "You are mine and I love you." That is the vinedresser talking via the Holy Spirit.

There is no challenge or trial that we will ever go through that can silence God’s comforter coming alongside us and letting us know that we are not alone - He is our strength and our comfort for all times and in all situations.

That is something that we cannot keep to ourselves. That is something that is not a burden, but a source of joy and peace. Pass it on.

Deaf Devotion 11/27/2009

“And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
(Ephesians 5:20 NLT)

Thanksgiving Day has come and gone. The stress of planning, preparation, who sits where, “why am I at the kid’s table,” “I don’t like squash,” “Oh my I ate way too much,” can all be put away for another year.

There are four types of people connected with Thanksgiving.

There are those who are constantly complaining and grumbling. Have we met anybody like this? It seems like they can brighten up a room just by leaving it.

Then there are others who live lives with a lack of appreciation. They don’t complain, but they never thank God for His obvious blessings. That’s a little better, but not much better.

Then there are people who thank God for obvious blessings. When something good happens, they’re grateful. That’s a better level. But we are not yet quite there.

The highest level is to be grateful for all things at all times. Good and bad. We thank God for His provision in the good times and we thank God for His grace and mercy in the tough times. That is the secret of a happy and productive life.

Thanksgiving needs to be expressed

God appreciates our thanksgiving. It lifts Him up and it glorifies Him. And thanksgiving endears him to us. It draws us closer.

How do we express thanksgiving?

When we spend time with Him (not just 1 hour a week)
When we forgive others
When we serve in His church
When we share His Plan of salvation
When we reach out to hurting people
When we give God our best
When we praise Him enthusiastically from the heart

Thanksgiving needs to be abundant

- The blessings of life – Did anyone ever thank God for a sink full of dirty dishes? Who does? But we should. A sink full of dirty dishes usually means that we have been blessed by God with daily food & water. Do we realize that two thirds of the world goes to bed hungry every night? It seems so simple.
- The burdens of life - In our weakness God can make us strong. When we are struggling God is able to work in our lives. He helps us through times that we could have never faced on our own. We do not have to be thankful for our problems but rather - IN THEM. And being thankful in our daily experience of good and bad allows God to use “all things” for His greater good.
- The benefits of life - When we focus on what we lack, we fail to see ALL the blessings we DO have. We are constantly adding to our prayer list but more than anything we should be adding to our praise list. And as Christians there are other benefits of life. We can be sure that we are forgiven and free.

Thanksgiving is expected

- It shows growth. When we realize how blessed we are by others and by God and are able to express that - we are growing. We are growing in our relationship with God and with each other.
- It shows giving - When we realize how much God has done for us and how much he continues to do, we should be more than happy to give something back to him. This comes through our time and also our financial giving. Someone has said that for Thanksgiving to be real Thanks-giving, there must be "Thanks" and there must be "Giving."

When we give thanks for what we have, we think about how God is the great giver of the greatest gifts. Our anxiety is addressed by giving thanks. When we thank God for all He has done and given to us, we focus our attention on His grace and power. When we focus on God’s abundant grace and blessing, all we should see is Jesus Christ.

The word “thank” and the word “think” are from the same root word, and this is no accident. The two words have much in common. Thankfulness grows out of thoughtfulness. Our focus on giving thanks should cause each of us of think carefully about all God has done for us, is doing now for us, and will continue to do into eternity. It is a promise. Depend on it.

This week pray for people who do not know Jesus as Savior. Don't stop there...Get up and go...Do something about it. When we share Jesus our thanksgiving is expressed. Our thanksgiving is abundant. And our thanksgiving when someone accepts Jesus as Savior is expected. Pray for the homeless, the poor, those in hospitals, broken families, broken relationships. Don’t stop there. Get up and do something. In each of these as in many other situations God will show Himself powerful and mighty if we let Him. Then God is glorified. Our thanksgiving is expressed, it is abundant, and it is expected.


Jesus is the anchor for our soul in the storms of life and for the sunny days too. God’s plan is to add to our life to HIS glory, not make a fuss over us. We are God’s special and best creation. God wants us focused on Jesus Christ. God wants us set apart for HIS purpose and plan. God is not so interested in making us happy and healthy as He is in making us holy.

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT)

This week praise God for His never ending love, mercy, grace and goodness and then express it
This week thank God for friends and family and fellowship and then show it
This week thank God for the opportunity to share the Gospel and then share it
This week thank God for His provision and then pass on the blessing
This week praise God for our home in heaven and then tell others about it
This week pray for the Deaf Cafe stage and support teams and their families by name and then go
This week pray for all active military and their families
This week pray for retired military and their families
This week pray for the families of deceased military and their sacrifice
But don't stop there
Always have an attitude of Joy
Always have an attitude of communicating with God
Always have an attitude of thanksgiving

A Thanksgiving Project

A little Thanksgiving devotion. No fancy words. No Greek. No deep truths today.

Fellowship – Partnership – association – relationship

"And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment." (1 John 3:23 KJV)

Through our lives we have contact with people who touch our lives. God knows exactly who they are as all those with whom we come into contact are all part of God’s plan for each of us.

Who has impacted your life? Who has influenced you? Start making a list of those names. Start with A and go to Z. Give thanks to God for each individual how God has brought each one into our lives. Take time to pray for each one and their family BY NAME.

When we begin to feel God has become distant and far away, pull out this list and read each name and give thanks AGAIN and AGAIN. God will be as near as the sound of each name.

This will not be a complete list at first. We may not have names for each letter of the alphabet. There will be names that we have forgotten over time. When God reveals those forgotten names, add them to the list.

God Bless you and your family.

Mid Week Deaf Devotion 11/24/2009

Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. I’m telling you in advance, so don’t act surprised.

Since Ms. Stewart won’t be coming, I’ve made a few small changes: Our sidewalk will not be lined with homemade, paper bag luminaries. After a trial run, it was decided that no matter how cleverly done, rows of flaming lunch sacks do not have the desired welcoming effect. Once inside, our guests will note that the entry hall is not decorated with the swags of Indian corn and fall foliage I had planned to make. Instead, I’ve gotten the kids involved in the decorating by having them track in colorful autumn leaves from the front yard. The mud was their idea.

The dining table will not be covered with expensive linens, fancy china, or crystal goblets. If possible, we will use dishes that match and everyone will get a fork. Since this IS Thanksgiving, we will refrain from using the plastic Peter Rabbit plate and the Santa napkins from last Christmas. Our centerpiece will not be the tower of fresh fruit and flowers that I promised. Instead we will be displaying a hedgehog-like decoration hand-crafted from the finest construction paper. The artist assures me it is a turkey.

We will be dining fashionably late. The children will entertain you while you wait. I’m sure they will be happy to share every choice comment I have made regarding Thanksgiving, pilgrims and the turkey hotline. Please remember that most of these comments were made at 5:00 a.m. upon discovering that the turkey was still hard enough to cut diamonds. As accompaniment to the children’s recital, I will play a recording of tribal drumming. If the children should mention that I don’t own a recording of tribal drumming, or that tribal drumming sounds suspiciously like a frozen turkey in a clothes dryer, ignore them. They are lying.

We toyed with the idea of ringing a dainty silver bell to announce the start of our feast. In the end, we chose to keep our traditional method. We’ve also decided against a formal seating arrangement. When the smoke alarm sounds, please gather around the table and sit where you like. In the spirit of harmony, we will ask the children to sit at a separate table. In a separate room. Next door. Now, I know you have all seen pictures of one person carving a turkey in front of a crowd of appreciative onlookers. This will not be happening at our dinner. For safety reasons, the turkey will be carved in a private ceremony. I stress "private" meaning: Do not, under any circumstances, enter the kitchen to laugh at me. Do not send small, unsuspecting children to check on my progress. I have an electric knife. The turkey is unarmed. It stands to reason that I will eventually win. When I do, we will eat.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind my young diners that "passing the rolls" is not a football play. Nor is it a request to bean your sister in the head with warm tasty bread. Oh, and one reminder for the adults: For the duration of the meal, and especially while in the presence of you diners, we will refer to the giblet gravy by its lesser-known name: Cheese Sauce. If a young diner questions you regarding the origins or type of Cheese Sauce, plead ignorance. Cheese Sauce stains. Before I forget, there is one last change. Instead of offering a choice between 12 different scrumptious desserts, we will be serving the traditional pumpkin pie, garnished with whipped cream and small fingerprints. You will still have a choice; take it or leave it.

Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. She probably won’t come next year either. I am thankful.

SOURCE: By Barbara A. Tyler (as Printed in Today’s Woman, November 2000).

Deaf Devotion 11/20/2009

“Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.” (Habakkuk 3:17-19 NLT)

The prophet Habakkuk took a look at the world around him and saw the destruction. He was shocked. All he could do was ask the same question you and I ask today: “WHY?” But Habakkuk speaks in defense of God’s goodness and power in the presence of destruction. Habakkuk shows his faith because he praises God’s person, God’s power, and God’s purpose. But further, Habakkuk offers praise as the result of his faith.

Habakkuk makes it clear that it is acceptable for us to question what God is doing in our lives. He even encourages it. What he does not encourage is doubt. When we are thrown into suffering for a period of time, or our enemies are prospering while we are just barely getting by, we wonder about the fairness of God and life. Habakkuk affirms that God is God and we are made to climb over the mountains of difficulty. We just need to be still and know He is at work. He is who He says He is and does keep His promises.

We all have questions, a lot of question. Tough questions. QUESTIONS that we still have EVEN when we go before God in worship and prayer. WHY?

• Why – did something happen?
• Why - did God allow something to happen?
• Why – didn’t He stop something from happening?
• Why – are some homes spared and others destroyed?
• Why – do some live and others die?
• Where – was God in all this?

Sometimes all we can do is to simply say, “I don’t know.” “I don’t know why.” There is nothing wrong with that. If sometimes in life, we want to ask God “why,” understand we are not alone. God’s people have been asking the creator why ever since time began. The prophet Habakkuk who lived over 2600 years ago asked God, “Why?”

I have a teacher who taught me, “We already know the answer. It is the question that we do not understand.”

• WHY do terrible things happen? I don’t know… BUT - I do know that God is good, that God is just, that God is fair.

• WHY does God allow terrible things to happen? I don’t know… BUT - I do know that God is STILL on His throne, that He is still the Sovereign Lord who is our strength and who makes it possible for us to stand on the heights.

• WHY doesn’t God stop bad things from happening? I don’t know… BUT - I do know that His ways are not my ways and His thoughts are not my thoughts.

• WHY do some live and others die? I don’t know… BUT - I do know that Jesus is the resurrection and the life and that he who believes in Him will LIVE even though he dies. (John 11:25)

• WHY does some cancer go away and other cancer kill? I don’t know… BUT - I do know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

• WHY do some marriages run smooth and others seem to struggle and even fall completely apart…? I don’t know… BUT - I do know that if we consider it (The good and the bad) pure joy God will use it to make us mature and complete not lacking in anything. (James 1:2-4)

• WHY do some people seem to always have more than enough money and others can barely make ends meet? I don’t know… BUT – I do know that if we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness all these things will be given to us as well. (Matthew 6:33)

• WHY are some people forced to live under so much pressure and stress? I don’t know… BUT - I do know that God can give you a peace that transcends all understanding (Philippians 4:7)

• WHY do some kids get to grow up in homes where they are loved and valued and others have to grow up in homes where they feel worthless and discarded? I don’t know… BUT – I do know that though your father and mother may abandon you the LORD will hold you close (Psalm 27:10)

• WHY does this life at times seem to be full of nothing but struggle, hardship and suffering? I don’t know… BUT – I do know that our present suffering are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us (Romans 8:19).

• WHY does it seem like so many things right now are stacked against us? I don’t know… BUT – I do know that in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:37-39)

YES – We have questions today that are harder than ever before to answer.
AND – there are many “I don’t knows.”
BUT – there are a few things upon which we can depend with no doubt…

AND – those are the things we must choose to hold on to… ‘Tis so sweet;
• to trust in Jesus
• to put my hope in Him
• to rest upon His promises
• to know that if His eye is on the sparrow then that eye is most definitely watching over me
• to know that Christ can and will deliver me
• to know that he will walk with me in the wilderness
• to know that he is the matchless king and the fount of every blessing.

God will prepare his people to be successful even in the middle of great challenges. He enables us to go to the higher places with Him where we are set apart from the world. Sometimes the way we have to go to get us there is through suffering and sorrow, but if we rest in Him and trust Him we come out where He wants us.

When Jesus told the disciples He was going to send the Holy Spirit to them, it was in order for them to scale the mountain before them with a new form of power they had not experienced. "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" (Acts 1:8).

If we find ourselves in a place of doubting God and His plan for our life, know that this is a normal aspect of our journey with God. However, know that God has made available His Holy Spirit in order for us to accomplish the tasks that lie ahead.

The next time we wonder “why,” The point is not “why.” The point is to trust and obey God. The point is to exalt Jesus Christ. The point is to ask the Holy Spirit to enable us to achieve the highest and best possible result for which God has created us and for which Jesus Saves us by God’s love, mercy, and grace.

Mid Week Deaf Devotion 11/17/2009

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8 NLT

In Galatians 5 the Apostle Paul presents us with a big list of “fruits” or “results” of living in the flesh. There are 17 or 18 things in this list. All of them are focused on “self.” None of them are focused on anything outside of me me me.

In fact that is the opposite of what God wants us to do. God wants us to live in the Spirit. He wants us to live in His Spirit. He wants us to have the characteristics of His Son Jesus and for the Spirit of His Son to come alive and be shown through our lives. If all I think is me me me, God cannot show Himself as God through our lives.

Paul goes on to talk about the “fruits” or “result” of living in the Spirit. “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” Galatians 5:22-23 NLT

How do we do this? Paul gives us the answer in Philippians Chapter 4. “Fix your thoughts.” The Greek used here is the word “logizomai.” We get the English word “logic” or “logical” from this word. It means that something makes sense. It is right because it makes sense. It just does not make sense to allow ourselves to live in the flesh and have the things that Paul list control our lives and be the proof of our decision. If we use this thought, Paul could be saying that it makes sense to fix our thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, etc.

Why? Because Jesus is God. Jesus and God share the result of living in the Spirit. Jesus experienced life in the flesh, but thought with the mind of God. If Jesus were focused only on Himself, he would not have been able to go to the cross. But no, Jesus “fixed His thoughts” on what God wanted Him to do.

Everything that is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable is found in Jesus Christ. Because it is true in Jesus Christ, it is true in God. Jesus and God are most excellent and worthy of praise.

So, if we let the Holy Spirit control what we do, the only result will be to have the same characteristics as Jesus Christ. The results of living in the Spirit are those things which are most pleasing to God because they are the result of faith in Jesus Christ.

We are commanded, not asked, to show the result of accepting Jesus as Savior. Jesus says, “Abide in me.” Walk in the Spirit.” “Bear fruit.” These are not suggestions.

We are to bear good fruit. This means we are to show the goodness of accepting Jesus as Savior. It just makes sense. It is logical. We can bear good fruit or we can bear bad fruit; good results or bad results, good sense or bad sense. The choice is ours. The results are what we show other people.

It goes one step further. We are commanded to “bear fruit.” We are commanded to “bear good fruit.” But then we are commanded to “bear MUCH fruit.” Our character and what we do need to overflow with the abundant love, joy, peace, and best attitude of Jesus Christ.

Why? It just makes sense for us to do it. We are created in the image of God. We are conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ. It just makes sense.