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Pray and Meditate on God‘s Word Daily

I admit, some of Jesus commands are difficult to obey.  But they all give life.  Every command of Jesus that we obey gives us life and strength and hope.

This is certainly true of the command to pray and feed on God’s word daily. Jesus said, “This then is how you should pray…” Then he gave us a model prayer which is often called the Lord’s Prayer.  As we pray that way with faith, we draw near to our heavenly Father and experience his fatherly kindness to us.  We honor him and ask for his kingdom to be established on earth as it is in heaven. As we pray the way Jesus taught us to pray we experience confident hope that he will provide for us and meet our needs.  We find forgiveness and deliverance from evil.  Put simply, as we pray, we are blessed.

Nehemiah 4

Leaders are responsible for warnings and communication.  Ezekiel 33:6-7 and Hosea 8:1 are two of many scriptures that describe the duty of leaders to sound an alarm or issue a warning to the people.  Sometimes, leaders, these messages are difficult and not well received.  Nonetheless, we are to “speak the truth in love.” (Ephesians 4:15) We are held accountable if we fail to do so.   

Leaders motivate and inspire others.  Leaders trust God and also do their part.  Leaders are responsible to communicate warnings to the people that will help protect them.

Partake in the Lord‘s Supper Part 2

That’s right, Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me. All followers of Jesus are to participate in the Lord’s Supper.  When we do so, we remember what Jesus has done for us.  We remember how he sacrificed himself on the cross of Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. We remember how great his love is for us.  We remember how much we need his forgiveness. And when each of us is remembering all this, we can see around us our brothers and sisters in the faith. They too are remembering what Christ has done for them. In this moment we experience a very sweet fellowship with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 

Making Hard Decisions

The Apostle Paul is exhorting Timothy as a leader in the church to boldly use the gift of leadership to edify the body in which sometimes means making hard decisions.

When we all make hard decisions, first it is important to fast and pray.

Then deeply study God’s Word on the subject we have felt led to teach.

Also, as we feel the Lord has given us His clear direction, discuss it with a mentor or leader or whomever has been agreeing in prayer about this.

Also, it is good to Listen to their counsel on the subject.

Next, we are able move forward in much grace and boldness; leading with God’s Word as our voice.

Partake in the Lord‘s Supper

The Lord’s Supper, sometimes known as holy communion.

Jesus commanded his followers to participate in the Lord’s Supper.  On the night he was betrayed to be crucified, Jesus ate a meal with his disciples. During that meal, as he distributed the wine and gave out the bread, Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.”

Just like each of the other basic commands of Jesus, this one is not optional.  Jesus has instructed us that we should participate in the Lord’s Supper.  But what does this mean?  And who specifically should participate? 

Nehemiah 3

• Nehemiah was a visionary He and those with him saw the reality of the wall in ruins.  Visionary leaders are able to see “into the future”, to envision what others cannot see AND to communicate the possibilities in a convincing way.  
• Nehemiah was an inspiring The wall had been in ruins since King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem 152 years before, when he knocked down the walls and burned the city’s gates. Nehemiah, in this case, appealed to the Jews’ sense of cultural identity and pride. 
• Nehemiah was a confident However, his confidence did not lie in himself or those around him. Rather, he responded, “The God of heaven will give us success.”  May we follow this example! 

Love God and Neighbor part 2

Today’s podcast is about the wonderful opportunity and the difficult task of loving our neighbor as ourselves.

Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan who helped a man from a different tribe who had been beaten and robbed.  The Samaritan bound up the suffering man’s wounds and took him to a hotel where he paid for his care.

The Apostle John said, “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”

This is a challenging word for every new church. So, since your church is young, start now to demonstrate the love of Christ by your deeds. 

Rest in God

It seems in the days we all now live, there is a constant bustle, a hurried busyness that causes our minds to not stop thinking, our hearts are beating faster, and our bodies are constantly on the go.

It is vital to trust the Lord, as we take time to allow our bodies to be regenerated, our minds to recalibrate, and our souls to be renewed; know that  when we this He will do more through you and I even in a shorter amount of time.

Love God and Neighbor part1

Today’s podcast is about the greatest commandment and the one that is like it: To love God and neighbor.

Jesus says to us, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  It is not easy.  We do not have the ability to carry out this command of Jesus in our own strength.  But God can help us. So call out to Jesus to fill your heart with love for your neighbors.

Nehemiah 2

• Nehemiah was bold! Realizing what the Lord had called him to do, he made not one, not two, but three very large requests of the king. 
• Secondly, Nehemiah was planful. Notice how he had thought through his series of requests.
• Nehemiah knew the details of what was needed, and he had a plan.  
• Finally, Nehemiah was grateful to the Lord. “And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.” As leaders, our success comes from the Lord, and we must be diligent and intentional to give Him the glory.