Deaf Devotion 3/26/2011

In the last several months the earth has seen some major examples of the power of nature. There have been earthquakes, fires, hurricanes, volcanoes, and the like. While each of these has been said to be caused by nature, it is really a glaring example of the amount of power God has put into the world He created. God certainly is not and was not surprised by any of these events.

God is sending a wake-up call. Hello? Is anybody home? Where have my children gone? Why do they turn their back on me? Why do they pay more attention to arguing with each other than worshipping me? There are those who will blame global warming, blame Christians and Muslims, blame Republicans and Democrats, will blame the Tea Party. But there is one truth. God does not choose sides. Jesus is coming back to take over God’s creation in His rightful place as King.

Jesus is the King of creation and He comes to give us a message of victory over sin. We will never know this victory until we lay our life at His feet and bow before His throne. Before we can be conquerors, we must be conquered. But how?

“Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.” (James 4:8 NLT)

Do we realize what this says? It says God is willing to meet us first where we are. He will meet us where we are in our life. He will meet us where we are spiritually. He will meet us where we are with our faith, our doubts and our fears.

The feeling of God being distant even affects those who have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Many times we hear people using this line, "I just don’t feel close to God right now." Or, "God doesn’t seem very real to me right now." We all struggle with that sometimes. “Are my prayers just bouncing off the walls?” So, what can we do about it? How can we overcome those feelings? How can we get to the point of experiencing and enjoying God’s presence and power consistently in our daily life?

There are three key words for feeling God’s power in our life: Approach; Submit; and Separate.

Approach - Yeah, right? How? When I don’t know if He’s there, can’t see, smell nor touch Him. If we look to what God says in His Word, it seems to say we can begin to feel God’s power by having a sense of confidence. What God did by sending Jesus to us, is to send out a wake-up call. Jesus made it possible for us to approach God, draw close, to a close personal relationship, to have our prayers heard and answered and based on historically reliable record, on a real person, not just a ghost or an alien.

“And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:5-8 NLT)

Submit – Yeah, right? We must allow God to do His job and what He promised by allowing God’s power present in us to weaken the control of sin. By faith we come to God through Christ and as we come close to God, allow some room for God’s Spirit to maneuver in your lives. This is what James is talking about when he calls his readers to sensitivity about our sin and shortcomings. “Wash your hands, you sinners”

Separate – Yeah, Right? "Purifying your hearts" refers to refining our motives, attitudes, our very thoughts that are against what God wants for us. Sin blinds us. Sin burdens us with worry, guilt, and fear. Sin hardens our hearts. Sin deceives us. Sin separates us from God. It’s not about sin separating us from God. It’s about God separating us from our sin. It’s about us separating ourselves from our sin by faith in Jesus Christ and the power in His Death and Resurrection.

Turning to God and changing from those actions or attitudes that God does not want us to have requires us to allow God to deepen His work in us. By examining thoughts, feelings, and convictions, we allow God to show Himself powerful and mighty through us. We will break down those barriers to feeling God’s presence and power in our life, when we give up and simply admit our hearts are totally evil.

Now, there is an old question that adds an important perspective to this verse. It asks, "If you feel distant from God, who moved?" The answer is "you". You see, God doesn’t move. He doesn’t come and go. He doesn’t show up for a while and then disappear. He doesn’t go on a vacation. He doesn’t take summers off. Scripture says that God never sleeps [Psalm 121:3]

To experience God’s power, claim His promises.
To experience God’s power, operate on faith.
To experience God’s power, repent in faith.
To experience God’s power, pour yourself into service in Jesus’ name.
To experience God’s power, remember everything God has done.

We need to understand it has always been the grace of God, in Jesus’ blood, that God has brought us near to Him. God’s activity in Christ guarantees us purity in the sight of the holy and awesome God. It is in Jesus where we feel more of God’s power in our life. We need every day to remember this. It’s all because of the precious and wonderful favor of God that we can draw near and have Him draw near to us.

Deaf Devotion 3/19/2011

“Timothy, please come as soon as you can. Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus has gone to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me in my ministry. I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. When you come, be sure to bring the coat I left with Carpus at Troas. Also bring my books, and especially my papers. Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm, but the Lord will judge him for what he has done.” (2 Timothy 4:9-14 NLT)

The apostle Paul knew the value of having good friends. Barnabas encouraged him in his ministry. Silas partnered with him in establishing new churches. Timothy became like a son to him. Paul also knew the heartache of co-laborers turning away from him when times got tough. We may experience something similar in our life.

People will react differently to our struggles. Some feel they are not able to help and hold back because they are uncertain about what to say or do. Others are so protective of their time that selfishness causes them to turn away. And sometimes our friends and co-workers do not want to be identified with us in our trials. Even as a Pastor this sometimes happens to me. Other Pastors and friends reach out and help while others hold back for some reason. This experience taught me the importance of reaching out to and serving brothers and sisters in need of God’s Word or in times of trouble.

Our primary purpose on earth is to worship and glorify God, exalt Jesus Christ the risen Savior, and to “watch over” or be caretakers of God’s creation. Look at God’s plan for Adam and what God did next: “The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it.” (Genesis 2:15 NLT) God then warned Adam of the tree and the danger of Him not thinking himself above God or not needing God. Then God had a plan for us: “Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” (Genesis 2:18 NLT) This is Eve being created. The name “Eve” means “mother of all.” Therefore, We are here as sons and daughters of Adam and Eve to first, take care of what God created, and secondly, to be here to help each other.

This final section of Paul’s letter to Timothy offers some specific instructions as well as some final pieces of advice that Paul is passing on to Timothy. Paul’s main objective is for Timothy to learn that he must allow God to be his strength. Timothy’s and Paul’s effectiveness as Christian leaders depended on it as does our effectiveness as Christians in today’s world. We must allow God to use others, friends and enemies, to strengthen us if we are to be really effective in His service.

There are many different occasions when we will have a need for strength, whether it is physical, mental or emotional. We need strength to accomplish a specific task. We need strength to overcome an addiction. We need strength to cope with the death of a loved one. But, sadly, friends will abandon us and enemies will try to distract us. We must step in and support each other.

Even Jesus had this problem. Matthew 12:14 has the shocking statement that the Pharisees went out looking for a way to kill Jesus. They were planning a murder. Jesus had just healed a man with a shriveled hand on the Sabbath. The Pharisees were looking for a way to trap Jesus in his own teachings or actions. Jesus’ healing of this man and then the way Jesus criticized the Pharisees only added to their fierceness in opposing him.

Yet, where did Jesus go for help? He trusted God so completely to bring people faithful to His mission that He knew God’s plan would continue even though He would soon die on the Cross.

The Lord gives us strength. He alone is our source of strength.

Helping others requires an investment of time and energy. We start by praying for them and asking the Lord how we can help. He may have us to come alongside another person to lend emotional support, provide spiritual guidance, offer assistance in a physical or financial way, or find others who can. In the same way God will bring someone alongside us in our time of trouble. Standing with people will encourage them.

When friends abandoned him, Paul asked God not to hold their actions against them. He followed the example of Jesus, who prayed for the Father to forgive the people who abandoned Him, the people who mocked Him, the people who tortured Him and more importantly, the people who killed Him. What's our response when friends let us down? Forgiveness is the choice that pleases God every time.

God is willing and more than able to rescue us and make us strong in our times of weakness. He alone is our source of strength. He will reveal His strength through the blessings and talents of the brothers and sisters He will bring alongside us.

Today are we walking with Christ? Not walking ahead of Him. We walk with Him. We follow Him as our example. Is He our strength? Or are we trying to walk it alone? Is there someone who is burdened that we can come alongside with the strength of God to lift them up? I challenge all of us to let God be the strength. Let Him take over the load in our life. Trust Him with the ups and downs of our life. In all things God is glorified.

Deaf Devotion 3/12/2011

“Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.” (Matthew 21:21-22 NLT)

In the Gospel of Mark it is written that Jesus was approached by a father whose son was possessed by a demon. The man came to Jesus, asking Him to heal the boy, if it was possible. The Lord lovingly shared that He could accomplish anything if the man had faith. The dad responded, "I do believe; help my unbelief."

“Help my unbelief.” Are there any greater words of faith? What a revealing statement.

Even mature Christians will sometimes experience some doubt with regard to God's ways, truth, or ability. Thankfully, He is gracious and meets His children where they are.

But the Bible is clear that doubt causes difficulty. First, it affects the believer's fellowship with God. Second, disbelief blocks one's prayer life. The Lord will answer a doubting heart, but God’s answer will never be the right answer, nor will the answer satisfy. Third, uncertainty can lead to dependence upon the flesh and, therefore, can get in the way of fruitful service. All of these can lead to discouragement.

Let's explore how to overcome a lack of assurance. Prayerfully consider what causes us to question. For example, when we were growing up were we taught something other than what God teaches? Or we were told what we should believe by someone other than God? Now, recall a time when we trusted the Lord and He responded; remember how it felt to rely totally upon Him. And, most importantly, study Scripture and learn exactly what God is saying to us. The Bible says it is better to depend on the Lord than to trust in people. (Psalm 118:8)

God wants us to walk in the freedom of faith. God calls each of us to live our lives with full confidence in Him. This removes fear and worry because the almighty, all-knowing, loving Father is able to guide, strengthen, and lead His children to victory.

What is the biggest thing we have ever asked God to do for us? I have learned most of the prayers are good and right, but not bold. About the biggest requests are for physical healing. I believe God does heal in response to our prayers, but surely God wants to do more than “fix” us. God is looking for someone bold enough to ask Him for something big. This is not about a home on the beach or a new car, although these are nice blessings. We are talking about spiritual things! Where are the people who are asking God to invade their lives with His power, to transform a community, to break the curse of racism, to send missionaries around the world?

There was popular book about the prayer of a man named Jabez. Jabez’s prayer was surprisingly simple. “He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request.” (1 Chronicles 4:10 NLT) Notice the end of the verse: “And God granted him his request.” Faith asked and God answered.

What mountain do we need God to move? Today God calls us to bring our mountain to Him and ask Him to move it. Stop wishing, wanting and hoping and start asking in faith without doubt, because that is what Jesus commands us to do.

The next time those feelings of doubt begin to rise, remember that God does move mountains. Along with the everyday prayers that we offer to God, try adding a mountain to the list, let God out of the box, and see what great and mighty things God will do!

If you haven't been living with belief, start today. Don't miss out on His best!

Deaf Devotion 2/26/2011

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. (John 15:4-6 NLT)

I do want to add a personal note to thank Officer Paul Green of the Flint Township Police Department, one of my friends at Starbucks on Miller Road, who is retiring in exactly 74 minutes after 32 years of service. He is moving to Tennessee. Thank you for your service and God Bless You!

As usual, it has been a week of ups and downs. We all have days, weeks, and even months like this. Last Saturday morning as I was preparing to leave for Louisville, KY for a Deaf Pastor’s Prayer meeting, I opened an email that, well, shocked me. Knowing I could not keep this from my wife, I had to wake her up and tell her some news I knew was going to upset her as well. It is something we cannot talk about right now, but we ask your prayers for our family.

Then we left for Louisville and experienced a unity of prayer and spirit joining with other Deaf Pastors and leaders for worship and prayer. It was a wonderful experience. Thank you to Pastor Steve Dye and the family at SECC Deaf Church in Louisville.

We flew home Sunday only to have 11 inches of snow after we arrived home which prevented me from going to work on Monday. Then Tuesday through Friday were rough days each one in their own way.

Through it all, though, I just looked to my Heavenly Father and thanked Him for His unending grace, mercy and love that are poured out for each one of us. I thanked God for the honor of Him allowing me to Pastor a Deaf church and work with Deaf to spread the Gospel. I thanked Him for a loving wife, good children, and all that He provides for us. I thanked Him for friends and the fellowship of other Pastors and believers.

Above all, I thanked God for His Son. This is because if we are without Jesus Christ, we are nothing. Today's passage encourages us to stay connected to Jesus.

The image of Him as the vine and believers as the branches helps us understand that apart from Him, we can do nothing. It is possible to accept His salvation yet still act out of the "flesh," not able to focus or even separated from His direction and power. All believers find their focus wandering at times, but some have strayed so far that it's hard to see their way back.

If someone finds their heart focused on something besides Christ, it is very important to admit that this has happened. The Holy Spirit will help us identify which attitudes or activities are drawing us away from Jesus. Then He will draw us to repent and get whatever help is necessary to set aside interruption, insecurity, worldly desires, or anything else that draws our attention away from the Lord.

Once the distraction is gone, we can refocus on Jesus by reading the Word, praying, learning from biblical messages, and spending time with godly friends who will encourage us. Sometimes it can be hard to obey as the Lord desires but He promises to walk by our side to strengthen us and supply all our needs. “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19 NLT)

Hebrews 12:1 urges us to give up whatever may be slowing us down and continue the obedience to God for His plan that He planned for us before He created the universe.

Don't delay. Recognize any area, sin, or stronghold that is keeping us from living passionately and fully for Christ. We cannot do this for another person. We can join them in prayer, but what another person does, is between them and God. Following His plan—with His strength—is the only way to peace, joy, and contentment in life. Ask for His help and commit to action.

So, the question becomes, “Where are you right now? Are you connected to the vine, feeling the life of God flowing through you as you remain in Him? Or are you disconnected, slowly dying, trying to stay in control of life and manage things in your own strength? Keep in mind that there are seasons of pruning, where even some parts that seemed to be growing are cut off so that other parts can be more fruitful. There are times in our lives where maybe we are not seeing the fruit, but we know we are remaining in the vine. If that describes you, remain. Paul would say, stand firm. Hold fast, keep the connection, continue to let Jesus’ words dwell in you, allow the gardener to prune, and cling to the promise that you will bear much fruit.

Deaf Devotion 2/19/2011

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2 NLT)

One day God will get our attention one way or another and will change our plans. It is only faith that can carry us through the change. God calls each of us to develop a faith that is exciting, energetic, alive, deep, and essential.

GOD KNOWS HOW TO GET OUR ATTENTION!

This happened to a man who was on his way to Damascus with one thing on his mind: Stop the spread of the Gospel.

God showed up and interrupted Saul’s plans. God shot a laser beam of light out of the throne room of Heaven and knocked Paul to the ground.

Suddenly all of the education, the plans, and the hatred that had been controlling Saul was erased in one quick flash and Saul became the guilty and the hopeless.

In his previous life Saul had not really heard the voice of God, he had listened only to the voice of religion and of the world.

But now he heard a different voice. This was a voice with power and authority that shook him to the core of his soul.

This same voice had spoken the world into existence.
This same voice had called to Adam in the Garden.
This same voice had spoken judgment upon Satan, the serpent and all of creation as a result of sin.
This same voice had spoken to Moses on Mt. Sinai and given the Law
This same voice had spoken to Lazarus and raised him from the dead
This same voice had cried out, “it is finished” as he paid the price of redemption on the cross
This same voice cries out to us today – follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
This same voice speaks to each of us – this is my will for your life, now do it.
This same voice will someday say to us “Well done my good and faithful servant.”

Paul had developed a strong faith commitment to know and serve Jesus Christ. His dedication and love for the Lord was obvious. Jesus was always central in his thinking, whether he was working as a tent maker, preaching to the crowd, or even sitting in chains at prison. What caused his love for the Lord to carry on?

When Jesus called out to Paul when he was on his way to Damascus his way of life changed forever. Grateful for the gift of grace he had received at salvation, Paul went and told as many people as possible about his encounter with the resurrected Christ and its impact on him. We, too, have a story to tell of God's mercy in saving us and of the new life we have in Him. How many people are waiting to hear our stories of salvation?

Paul's enthusiasm also came from his firm conviction that the gospel message was true and available to everyone. The more we understand what Jesus has accomplished on our behalf, the greater will be our desire to share the gospel.

Developing a faith that is exciting, energetic, alive, deep, and essential requires time and energy plus a commitment to obey God. Regularly studying the Bible will strengthen our faith and give us the courage to speak. Caring about the relationship others have with Jesus Christ as Savior moves us into action.

This may be the day of new beginnings for someone – if we are willing to pay attention.

Deaf Devotion 2/12/2011

“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT)

Okay…Yes, Monday is Valentine’s Day. Have you told those in your life that you love them? Have you told God you love HIM? For some Valentine’s Day is cheesy and silly. For some it is another chance for expressing one’s love. Yes I said, “ANOTHER CHANCE.” It is not the ONLY chance. For some it is very, very painful.

A good group game asks this question: "If you were told to leave your house immediately and given only one hour to pack only one suitcase to hold your belongings, what would you take?" The point of the game is to force people to think about priorities; answers usually include things like family photo albums, keepsake jewelry, a valued gift, important documents, and today one would probably include their laptop and cell phone!

Everything in life is not equally important, nor is everything in the kingdom of God on the same level. Of three important virtues, faith, hope, and love, Paul said that love is the "greatest." And Jesus pointed out that loving God and loving each other are the first and second most important commandments out of the hundreds of commandments in Israel's Law. Various influences have caused many people to think afresh about what is most important in their life.

When funds are limited, when things are not going right in our families or circle of friends, or the future looks scary, we begin to make choices: God, spouse, family, neighbors, health, savings. In truth, we tend to live differently when all things are not possible.

We need to constantly be on guard and aware of changes and choices we are making when things get challenging. It is then very difficult be true to ourselves and hold on to the priorities that God has for us: Faith, Hope, and Love.

“And the very hairs on your head are all numbered.” (Matthew 10:30 NLT) God sees us. God is with us in the Holy Spirit. God is with us in the Savior Jesus Christ. He knows all about us. He knows more about us than we know about ourselves. He knit us together in our mother’s womb. And I guarantee you on the authority of the Word of God, that He loves us.

This is amazing when we realize that we are just specks on a globe that’s about the size of a grain of sand or less compared to the size of the universe. And yet our Lord looks down and He sees us as cherished individuals that He loves one by one. The great God that runs the universe is concerned about us as though we are His only priority. Well, we are HIS top priority.

Paul lists fifteen characteristics of love in 1 Corinthians 13. But it’s what he says in 1 Corinthians 13:13 that seem to sum it up.

First, Love will never fail. When all the things in which men glory have passed away, love will still stand. “Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers drown it. If a man tried to buy love with all his wealth, his offer would be utterly scorned. (Song of Solomon 8:7 NLT) The one thing which cannot be defeated is love.

Secondly, love perfects us. Love makes us complete. (I John 4:12-18) Love matures us. It allows us to see ourselves as we truly are and God for who He truly is. Love grows us: it keeps us from acting like children only concerned for our own desires. It is a process which will not be complete until Christ’s return.

And then, love is supreme. Great as faith and hope are, love is still greater. Faith without love is cold, and hope without love is lonely. Love is the fire which kindles faith and it is the light which turns hope into certainty.

Paul makes a rather bold statement when he says, "Love never fails." Paul is saying that on the stage of life, love is bound to win. It is certain to succeed. And those who would practice it will never be defeated no matter how poorly someone may appear to be playing their part on the stage of life.

O Lord our God, source of all blessing, in happiness and joy we thank you for the gift of love, which we celebrate today and every day. Give us the ability to rejoice always in your love for us. Open our eyes to the beauty and the mystery of the love you hold for us and which we hold for each other, every day as today. And may our lives embrace and value the promise of your love which does not know any limits. Then all will see we are your children and your name will be honored and exalted. Amen.

Deaf Devotion 1/29/2011

“The first time I was brought before the judge, no one came with me. Everyone abandoned me. May it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength so that I might preach the Good News in its entirety for all the Gentiles to hear. And he rescued me from certain death. Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen. (2 Timothy 4:16-18 NLT)

It is sad to say, but if we honestly examine ourselves, many of us have experienced times of abandonment just when we needed that other person the most. It could have been a spouse withdrawing emotionally, a co-worker who is ignoring us, or a close friend who seems to be too busy even to listen. The life of the apostle Paul teaches us how not to become discouraged in these situations.

As he writes these words, the Apostle Paul is in prison, charged with rebellion against the Roman Empire. He has spent almost 4 years in prison, 2 back in Israel, and nearly 2 more in Rome. He has already appeared in court at least once, & now the court is waiting for more evidence to arrive from his accusers. So he writes these letters to Timothy about the way God stands with Him no matter what and how this makes a difference in our lives.

Paul says that God gives us grace when we face life’s disappointments. And that grace is sufficient.

You know how we usually deal with the disappointments we experience? We get angry. We seek revenge. We wonder why God let’s things like this happen. But we also need to keep one thing in sight. God is God and He does love us and is interested wants the best for us. All of it, good and bad, works together to show HIM as mighty, as righteous, and as God.

Remember that the Lord is always with us. When we trust in Jesus as our personal Savior, we enter into a permanent relationship with Him, and His Spirit comes to live in us. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus remains with us at all times, regardless of the circumstance. He is our friend—one who will never leave us. And His is the most important friendship we have. He promised in His Word to never leave or forsake us. Reading our Bible will help us to remember this.

We are invited again and again to draw on God's strength. Through the Holy Spirit, we have access to divine power every minute of the day. When we let go of control and depend on the Lord, we will be able to draw on His strength. Then, if family or friends cause hurt, His presence will provide comfort and help us to forgive them.

God gives us the strength to face whatever “life” throws at us. Look expectantly for God's deliverance. Paul testified that the Lord had rescued him and would continue to deliver him from every evil situation. He knew he could always trust God.

God has not promised us smooth sailing, or a free pass or even a “Get Out of Jail Free” card like in the game of Monopoly. What He did promise is a safe landing. He has a purpose in allowing every circumstance into our life, good AND bad.

“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.” (Philippians 1:6 NLT)

Andrew Murray (1828-1917) was a South African writer, teacher, and Pastor. He once said, “God is willing to assume full responsibility for the life totally yielded to Him.” One of these days your destiny will be fulfilled. And soon and very soon, He is going to step down from the mountain of His glory, and the trumpet will sound. Our little ship will leave the sea of time and immediately we’ll be on the shores of eternity. When He comes, He’s coming for you! He’s coming for me!”

Can we say this morning: “Yes, I do love the Lord Jesus Christ with an enthusiastic love. I have a hunger to know His Word. My heart longs to please him, and it grieves me to think of disobeying His commands. My delight is to live for Him. Whatever he brings into my life I know he is using it to conform me to the image of Christ.”

If this describes any one of us then there is evidence that God has already begun a good work. I pray that each one of us can join the great Apostle Paul in saying, “What God started He will finish. He will stand with me and deliver me. When He decides, not me, He will bring me into HIS everlasting presence. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.”