Deaf Cafe Devotion for 3/27/2009

“Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region.” Luke 4:14 NLT There is nothing wrong with the desire to have the Holy Spirit's power in our lives. Sadly, however, teaching on the subject too often strays from biblical truth. In the quest for Holy Spirit power, many people follow paths paved with emotion rather than following what God has planned. There is an interesting sequence surrounding the temptation of Jesus. He was full of the Holy Spirit when He came from His baptism in the Jordan River and He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness (Luke 4:1). Did He feel like going into the wilderness? Maybe He did and maybe He didn’t. What is important is that Jesus was so full of the Holy Spirit that He obeyed. He obeyed immediately too. Allowing the Holy Spirit to fill us comes with surrender. Surrender allows the Holy Spirit to lead. The Spirit-filled believer will be an obedient believer. In a setting of temptation, Jesus withstood the direct attempts of Satan to get Him to sin. The Spirit-filled believer also will resist temptation and live a righteous life because Jesus lived a righteous life. After the temptation Jesus is described as returning to Galilee "in the power of the Spirit" (Luke 4:14). It is important that "power" is noted after surrender, obedience and resisting temptation. There is no shortcut to Holy Spirit power. One must start with surrender and proceed with obedience. Righteousness also is required. A lack of spiritual power is not due to a shortage of emotion. More often it is a shortage of the Christ-like life. If we want Holy Spirit power, follow the example of Jesus. Do not start with emotion but with truth. To know the power of the Holy Spirit, we need to begin where these verses in Luke begin. We need to begin at the same place Jesus began. It starts with God's Will and the plan He has for us. We really must let the Holy Spirit take over, fill our lives, and reveal God plan to us. Then we need to follow in obedience to see where He leads. Oh, by the way, it is always allowed and okay to ask God to help us follow these steps.

Deaf Cafe Devotion for 3/20/2009

“The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken! Calamity will surely overtake the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished. But the Lord will redeem those who serve him. No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.” (Psalm 34:19-22 NLT)

Notice the verses do not say, "I thought the Lord would maybe keep us from problems popping up. I thought that if maybe I try to read my Bible every day and try to pray and try to obey His will, I would never have any trouble." Instead, it says that we will face trouble. Why do we have trouble in our lives? Why do problems pop up when we do not expect them, and at the worst possible time?

Sometimes we have some trouble simply because we are human. It is just a part of human life. We get older, and our bodies begin to run down. Not every sickness, every accident or every problem we face comes because God is angry at us or is disciplining us. They may just be a part of life.

We also have trouble because Satan is against us. Satan would love to destroy us and our families. This would take our focus off of God’s will. Or, trouble may come because we have done something that is not in God’s plan for us. We need to remain thankful in all situations that God loves us enough to bring us back to His will when we have disobeyed Him. Remember there is nothing that can separate us from God’s love.

In the end, letting us experience problems is one way God uses to help us mature. We don't really grow until we've been through the furnace, through the storm or through the battle. God wants to raise mature sons and daughters, and that's why we sometimes have problems pop up.

Psalm 34:19 says, “The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time." God is able to do anything and stop any problem or any trouble before it starts. But God sometimes does not keep problems from happening. He will show His power and glory by providing the answer for us. Sometimes God changes the circumstances, and sometimes God changes us. The real secret of God’s power and glory is not in the circumstances, but in the faith that is within us. Expect problems to pop up, but trust God for the answer.

Perhaps God's greatest use of problems and trouble is as a tool for helping us grow into mature Christians. The good news is that we can fully trust Him to for rescue from our trouble. The next time we face a problem that seems too big to handle, remember that God is bigger than any trouble or problem we can have. Trust God for answers in the times of trouble.

Deaf Cafe Devotion for 3/13/2009

Do we depend on God’s advice, direction, and control? Do we trust God that He already knows what is best for us? God’s Word, which is the source of His advice, direction and control, runs this whole universe. How did God create the universe and everything in it? "And God said, 'Let there be . . ."' (Gen. 1). He spoke, and it was done. This is the power that is in God’s Word. Did you know that the same Word that created the universe holds the universe together and is controlling the universe and the human history we experience? When we are in tune with the Word of God, we're in tune with God’s universe and with what He is doing in this world.

Look to God and see the beautiful truth that God has an individual plan for our life, just as He did for Moses, Joshua, and David, the apostles and the great men and women of the Bible and Church history.

Notice that God’s control comes from His heart. "But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken.” (Psalm 33:11 NLT) The will of God doesn't come from a machine. He doesn't photocopy one plan for everyone's life and fax it to all believers. No, God's will comes from His heart, completely made special for our life. And His will lasts forever. This is so unlike any human plans. The will of God is His expression of love for us. Let’s not be afraid of what God has planned for us. We must build our life on the plans God has made for us.

Deaf Cafe Devotion for 3/6/2009

World class failures and World class opportunities:

When does failure become opportunity? When God shows us a way to continue.

When does failure become failure? When we give up trying.

There was a man, a General in the Army, who lost two-thirds of all the battles he fought in the American Revolution. George Washington. He led the American Army and because of his leadership, they won the war. He became President.

There was another guy who graduated 42nd out of a class of 43. Then he went out and conquered Europe. Napoleon.

There’s a guy who lost almost every election he ran for – 10 or 12 – until finally he was elected President. Abraham Lincoln. He lost more than he won.

Thomas Edison tried over 200 different examples before he figured out what was exactly right for him to use to invent the light bulb. Over 200 failures before he had a success.

In 21 years, Babe Ruth hit 714 home runs but he struck out 1330 times. He struck out nearly twice as often as he hit a home run. He once said, "Never let the fear of striking out keep you from taking a swing."

The novelist Charles Dickens, received 753 rejection slips from publishers before he published his first book. He went on to publish many famous and successful books. Can you imagine the patience of the man putting up with over 700 rejections before his first book got published and then went on in his lifetime to publish so many more?

R.P. Macy failed seven times as a business man and then he started Macy’s department store.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. For each of these individuals there are many, many more that are unseen and unknown. Any one of these individuals could have quit at any time they hit a roadblock or experienced failure. It’s always too soon to quit. “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28 NLT) It turns out to be true for the most part that people who are very good at making excuses are rarely good at anything else.

What is our next success that will bring glory to God? How is God using roadblocks and failure to shape our future for His purpose and glory? With Jesus we are not failures. In God there is no failure. In Jesus there is no failure. Nothing is wasted when it is done for the Name of Jesus or for His purpose. There is only opportunity.