Thursday October 28, 2010

"Journey Through James - Part 11"

James 5:13-20

The Prayer of Faith

 ¹³Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. ¹⁴Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. ¹⁶Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
 ¹⁷Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. ¹⁸Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. ¹⁹My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, ²⁰remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Our Journey Through James comes to an end today. And what a great way to end our journey - with prayer. Prayer is such an important part of our walk with the Lord. Communication is one of the most important aspects of any relationships. So how do we communicate with God? Through prayer. Most of us only pray before meals, or before a big test, or when we need something. Those times of prayer are not bad, but we need to be in a constant state of prayer. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, it says "pray continually." That doesn't mean that every word out of your mouth needs to be a prayer, but that you should constantly have an attitude of prayer about you. Tell God how you are feeling, tell him about your troubles, tell him what you are happy about. Ask him for guidance, ask him for healing, ask him to reveal his truth to you through his word. Pray for each other.
My favorite part of this is where it says "Elijah was a man just like us..." Sometimes we put these bible characters in higher regard than ourselves, but the reality is that they were people just like us! There wasn't anything particularly special about them, but God chose them to do great works. Who knows, God might choose you too!
I encourage you to read through James all the way through on your own again. It's such a great book, and reading it all the way through helps you get the context of all that God is saying. I enjoyed taking this journey with you - I hope you did too!

Dear God, thank you so much for all that we have learned in reading through the book of James. Thank you that we can freely approach your throne in prayer. You are so holy and beautiful and amazing. Help us to have a constant attitude of prayer so that we can draw closer to you. Help us to place you at the highest importance in our lives. Nothing else compares to you Lord. We love you so much. In your son's holy name, amen.

Lots of love,
Aubrey <><

Wednesday October 27, 2010

"Journey Through James - Part 10"

James 5:7-12

Patience in Suffering

 ⁷Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. ⁸You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. ⁹Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!  ¹⁰Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. ¹¹As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
 ¹²Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned.

Have you ever really taken the time to think about what it will be like when Jesus comes back? Have you ever thought about what it will be like when we finally get to heaven? It's quite surreal to think about such things! The reality is, we have no idea what it's going to be like, but everything we have waited for and suffered for will be worth it at that moment. Have you ever waited a long time for something great to happen, and when it finally came, how did you feel? Now multiply that feeling by about a million! It's possible that we may die before Jesus comes back, but either way, we will be spending eternity with him in heaven...praise the Lord! The bible talks a lot about perseverance in the face of suffering. God rewards us for standing strong in the face of adversity. Here, he references Job and what God did for him after Job stood the test of suffering. (If you want to know more, check out the book of Job). Then God promises us that he is "full of compassion and mercy."
In the last verse, it talks about swearing. Have you ever said this: "I swear to God!" According to this, we should never do that! It's just not necessary. We just need to say either "yes" or "no."

Dear God, we are anxiously awaiting your return. Since we do not know the day or the hour, help us to be patient and to endure any suffering we might go through in the meantime. Help us to persevere. Thank you for your compassion and mercy Lord. We are so undeserving of any of it. We cannot imagine what it will be like to finally see your face for the first time, but we cannot wait for that moment. Thank you Lord for all that you do and all that you are. We love you. In your most holy and precious name, amen.

Lots of love,
Aubrey <><

Tuesday October 26, 2010

"Journey Through James - Part 9"

James 5

Warning to Rich Oppressors

 ¹Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. ²Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. ³Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. ⁴Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. ⁵You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. ⁶You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.

Take a look at some of these facts and stats on poverty throughout the world. Put this in perspective with your own life. When you've finished reading, pray for those around the world who barely have anything.

Monday October 25, 2010

"Journey Through James - Part 8"

James 4:13-17

Boasting About Tomorrow

 ¹³Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." ¹⁴Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." ¹⁶As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

This is such a powerful passage in just a few short verses. I know all of us make plans to do things, not even thinking much about it. Some of us even make plans way in advance so that we feel better prepared for the future. Making plans is not bad, but making plans expecting that they will go exactly as you want them to is foolish. As it says here, instead we should say "if it is the Lord's will." That puts God in total control of our lives. It's a hard thing to relinquish control to a God we can't see, but that is what we must do. The bible promises that God will be with us no matter what, so we have to trust that His plan is the best plan for our lives.
A lot of people spend time praying and thinking things like, "God, what is your will for my life? What do you want me to do with my life?" What we should be praying instead is, "God what is your plan for me in the next 10 minutes!" We don't even know if we will live to see tomorrow, so trying to figure out God's plan for your entire life is a little bit of a waste! Ask God what he wants you to do TODAY...RIGHT NOW.
The last verse here (v.17) is one that I talk about a lot. How many times have you been faced with a situation where you knew what the right thing to do was, and you didn't do it. Let's say your friends invite you to a party, and you know there will be drinking and/or smoking going on there. You know you shouldn't go but you do anyway. According to God, that is sinning. The way we know "the good" we ought to do is by reading the bible and praying. Stay close to God and you can't go wrong.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for being in total control of our lives. Help us to trust you fully with the plans you have for us. Help us to live for right now, and to do your will according to your word. Lord you are so mighty and powerful, but so loving and gentle. Thank you for everything you do for us. Thank you for guiding us through each minute of our lives. Help us to lean on you and to do the good we ought to do each day. We praise you and we love you, amen.

Lots of love,
Aubrey <><

Friday October 22, 2010

"Journey Through James - Part 7"

James 4

Submit Yourselves to God

 ¹What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? ²You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. ³When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.  ⁴You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. ⁵Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? ⁶But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
   "God opposes the proud
      but gives grace to the humble."
 ⁷Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
 ¹¹Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. ¹²There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

What does it mean to humble yourself before God? There are many different definitions of humble, but I like this one in reference to this passage: "Having a feeling of insignificance, inferiority, subservience." Now this definition is not to say that God thinks we are insignificant. But in comparison to God, we are insignificant.
We sometimes think that we can handle our own situations better than God can. We like our ideas better than God's plans. That in turn, makes us proud and arrogant. But the thing we need to recognize is that we are not even close to being better than God in any way shape or form. He is perfect - we are not. He always has what's best in mind for us - we do not.
So think about that next time you approach the throne of God. Humble yourself before him, and he will lift you up.

Father God, we are so insignificant compared to you, but thankfully, you make us significant because we are your creation. Thank you for your forgiveness and grace, and for lifting us up when we are humble before you. Thank you for welcoming us into your presence with open arms. You are so holy and mighty, and we are so small and meak. Empower us with your Holy Spirit, Lord, and help us to love others the way you love us. In your most holy and precious name, amen.

Lots of love,
Aubrey <><

Thursday October 21, 2010

"Journey Through James - Part 6"

Two Kinds of Wisdom

 ¹³Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. ¹⁴But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. ¹⁵Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. ¹⁶For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
 ¹⁷But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

So what are the two kinds of wisdom here? The first kind is the kind that comes from the devil. This comes when we carry ourselves around with envy and selfish ambition in our hearts. And what does that breed? Disorder and evil practice. In other words - not good! Remember that Satan is very crafty and parades himself around as an angel of light so on the outside, he looks great. But once he has trapped us, he only wants to harm us.
The second kind of wisdom is the kind that comes from heaven. What's the difference? It is pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. It should be pretty easy to tell the difference between godly wisdom and satanic wisdom. And how do we show this wisdom? By our good life, and by the deeds done in humility (i.e. giving to the poor, helping someone out, etc.).

Dearest God, we ask that you give us your heavenly wisdom, and help us to recognize when the wisdom comes from the evil one. Forgive us for any times that we have used evil wisdom thinking it was of you. Help us to flee from the devil and the desires of the flesh, and run to you instead. Thank you for all that you teach us through your word. We love you, amen.

Lots of love,
Aubrey <><

Wednesday October 20, 2010

"Journey Through James - Part 5"

Taming the Tongue

 ¹Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. ²We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
 ³When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. ⁴Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. ⁵Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. ⁶The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
 ⁷All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, ⁸but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
 ⁹With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. ¹⁰Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. ¹¹Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? ¹²My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

This is one of my favorite parts of James, because it is one of the most challenging and the most visual of all the passages. Check out what it says in verse 6: "The tongue is a fire...and is itself set on fire by hell." Pretty harsh words huh?
Well think about this - have you ever said something that you thought was no big deal, and someone overheard you and it totally blew up and became this huge issue, and maybe even made people really mad or upset? Or have you ever said something not-so-nice about someone, and they found out somehow, and they were really upset about it? I know I have! That is what James is warning us about here. The tongue is such a small part of the body, but yet it can cause so much destruction. We cannot praise God with the same mouth that we cut others down with. It just doesn't work. Look at verse 9 - men (and women) have been made in God's likeness, so by insulting people, we are insulting God and his creation.
Keep a tight reign on your tongue - be careful what you say!

Dear Lord, help us to keep our tongues under control with what we say. Help us not to speak badly about other people. Forgive us for the times when we have said things that made you unhappy. Help us to keep praising you, and to keep loving others. Thank you for your forgiveness and grace. We love you and we praise you. Amen.

Lots of love,
Aubrey <><

Tuesday October 19, 2010

"Journey Through James - Part 4"

Faith and Deeds

 ¹⁴What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? ¹⁵Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
 ¹⁸But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."
      Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
 ¹⁹You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
 ²⁰You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? ²¹Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? ²²You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. ²³And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. ²⁴You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
 ²⁵In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? ²⁶As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

This is one of the most famous passages in the bible. Faith without deeds is dead. This relates to what we talked about yesterday, when we said "don't just merely listen to the word, do what it says."
How do you prove to someone that you love them? You do things for them right? It's not enough to just say "I love you," you have to do something to prove it. It is the same way with God. If we truly love him, it is not enough for us just to say we love him and we believe in him, we have to prove it through our actions. Even the demons believe in God! The difference between us and them is that we do things that are according to God's word. Demons do not and will not. Faith and actions work together. We prove our belief and our love for God by what we do. So, are you proving your love for God by what you do? Or are you just the same as the demons?

Heavenly Father, you are so holy and mighty and just. Help us to back up our faith with our actions. We confess that we do not always follow your word, and sometimes we don't always reflect you in our lives. Forgive us Lord. We want to prove that we love you. Guide us in all that we do, and help us to stay in your word at all times. We praise you and thank you for all that you do. In Jesus' precious name, amen.

Lots of love,
Aubrey <><

Monday October 18, 2010

"Journey Through James - Part 3"

Favoritism Forbidden

 ¹My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. ²Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. ³If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," ⁴have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
 ⁵Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? ⁶But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? ⁷Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?
 ⁸If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. ⁹But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. ¹⁰For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. ¹¹For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
 ¹²Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, ¹³because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!

So, the title of this section is "Favoritism Forbidden." Not just frowned upon, forbidden. Here, James (and God) is saying that we should treat all people alike, no matter how they look or who they are. I know I have been guilty of showing favoritism lots of times. And it's not just, "I like that person better than this person," it goes beyond that. It can be the fact that I treat some people differently than other people. God treats all of us the same because he loves all of us equally. There is a saying that I love: "There is nothing you can do to make God love you more, and there is nothing you can do to make him love you less." God loves you the perfect amount because he created you! So since God treats everyone equally, so should we. If we put someone down, or treat some people differently than others, we are insulting God's very creation.
This is a hard thing to follow! But if we love God with all our heart, soul and mind, we can do it.

Dear God, thank you that you love every one of us equally. Thank you that you do not show favoritism from one person to the next. Your creation is perfect, and so is your word. Help us not to show favoritism among ourselves. Help us to remember that you are the Creator of all things, and that if we insult someone, we are insulting you. We are sorry for the times we do this, please forgive us. Help us to stay close to you through prayer and through your word. In Jesus' name, amen.

Lots of love,
Aubrey <><

Saturday October 16, 2010

"Journey Through James - Part 2"

Listening and Doing

 19My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. ²¹Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. ²²Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.²³Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
 ²⁶If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. ²⁷Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

The part I really want to focus on in this passage is verse 22. It's really good to read your bible as much as you can and to learn more about it. But if all we do is read it, and don't do what it says, it's pretty much useless. Plus it doesn't make God too happy either. Look at what it says in verse 25. If we read the Word, and also do what it says, we will be blessed in what we do. Before you sit down to read God's word, pray to Him and ask Him to reveal the truth to you. Ask Him to write His Word on your heart so that you will remember what you read, and then you can put it into action. Sometimes, you have to read things multiple times to really understand what it's saying - and that's fine! As long as you then go and do what it says. We'll get into this concept more in the coming verses, but I want you guys to focus on this passage and really get what it is saying. And as always, keep reading your bible!!


Dear Heavenly Father, we ask that you would help us as we read your word. Reveal the truth to us, and help us to understand what you are trying to say. Write your word on our hearts so that we will not only be prepared to give an answer for the hope that we have, but that we can put your word into action. Help us to always want to learn more about you. Thank you for everything you do and say. We praise you and we thank you, amen.


Lots of love,
Aubrey <><

Friday October 15, 2010

"Journey through James"
I figured it would be good for us to go through another book of the bible. We already went through 1 John together (in person), so I thought now we would take a look at mine and Evan's favorite book of the bible: James.
So, without further ado, here we go!
James 1:1-18
¹James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:  greetings.
Trials and Temptations
 ²Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. ⁶But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
 ⁹The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. ¹⁰But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. ¹¹For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.
 ¹²Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
 ¹³When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; ¹⁴but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. ¹⁵Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
 ¹⁶Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. ¹⁷Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. ¹⁸He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

One of the reasons I love James so much is because it is packed full of great stuff to help us in our walk with the Lord in just a few short chapters. I just want to focus on a couple of things in this particular passage.
First, in verses 2-4, James talks about trials and perseverance. We are to consider it pure joy when we face trials of any kind! Why? Because if we are able to stick with it, we develop perseverance, and perseverance leads to spiritual maturity. Instead of whining like little babies when we are going through a hard time, we should lean heavily on God so that He pulls us through and we grow in Him. Look at what is says in verse 12 - if we persevere through the trial, we receive the crown of life from God himself!! Amen!
One other verse that I want to highlight is verse 17, and the part where it says that God "does not change like shifting shadows." That is something we can take great comfort in. God does not change. His word is the same yesterday, today and forever. There are lots of people out there who claim that God does change, and that he is revealing "new" things to them. But that is simply not the case because God does NOT change! The verse before that says "don't be deceived." God is the only thing that has remained consistent through all of eternity.

Holy and powerful God, thank you for your Word. Thank you for putting us through trials so that we lean on you and grow in you. Help us to persevere in the midst of trials. Thank you for always being there for us when we need you. Help us to recognize that we are nothing without you. We pray for those who are suffering right now for the sake of the gospel. We pray for those who are misusing your word and your name. Help us to stay true to your word and to recognize the truth. We pray this in your name, amen.

Lots of love,
Aubrey <><

Thursday October 14, 2010

Keep Your Secrets to Yourself!
There are three passages in the book of Matthew (during the famous "Sermon on the Mount" where Jesus utters the same phrase: "Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
They are:
1.) "But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." - Matthew 6:3-4
2.) "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." - Matthew 6:6
3.) "But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." - Matthew 6:17-18

So, let's simplify that a little. The three things that Jesus wants us to do in secret are:
1.) Give to the needy
2.) Pray
3.) Fast
And what happens if we do? He rewards us! Based on our thought from yesterday, this reward will be Heavenly, rather than earthly. This is part of "storing up treasures in heaven."
So why does Jesus ask us to do these things in secret? Well think about it...He doesn't want us to do things so that we get the glory, he wants us to do things so HE gets the glory! If we give to the needy and then go around telling everyone what a good person we are for helping others, we are getting the glory. If we are praying in public and people are looking at us thinking, "Wow, she prays really well!" then we are getting the glory. If we are fasting, and we go around bragging about it, or go around complaining about how hungry we are, then we are getting the glory. No one should get glory except God! That's why He tells us to do these things in secret.
Read through Matthew chapter 6 today, to put this whole thing into perspective.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for your Word. Only you deserve to get the glory, because there is no other god besides you. We often like to get attention and recognition for the things we do, forgive us Lord. Help us to do things that bring you glory, and help us to humble ourselves before you. You are so awesome, powerful and holy. We love you, amen.

Lots of love,
Aubrey <><

Wednesday October 13, 2010

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." - Matthew 6:19-20

Take a moment to think about just how much "stuff" you have. Go ahead, I'll give you a minute................

You probably came up with a list of stuff that could just about go halfway around the world right? It's true that as Americans, we have lots and lots of stuff. We are conditioned to believe that "he who has the most toys when he dies wins." Well, that could not be further from the truth. As Christians, Jesus tells us to store up our treasures in Heaven - NOT on earth. So does that mean that all the stuff we like the most here on earth, we should FedEx to heaven so it's there waiting for us when we get there? Hardly! Jesus is talking about spiritual treasures. What are spiritual treasures? Anything you do that follows God's commands in the bible. The more we do what God wants us to do, the more "treasures" we will have stored up in heaven.
Whenever I am tempted to buy something new, I always try to think to myself, "Do I really need this? How will this help me get closer to God? Or, how will it help further His kingdom? Could I use the money I would spend on this for something else?" Now that's not to say that we can't buy things, but have a little perspective. If your stuff is more important to you than Jesus, then you've got a problem. And think about it, you can't take anything with you when you die, so what's the use?!
Our ultimate reward waits for us in heaven, and that is a crown of righteousness and being able to finally see our God face to face.

Holy and precious Savior, thank you so much for all the things you allow us to have. We don't deserve anything, but you have blessed us with much. Help us not to idolize our "stuff" but to recognize that You are the giver, and that You are the most important thing in our lives. Help us to stay in your word, and to store up our treasures in heaven. Help us to be responsible with what you have entrusted to us. We thank you and we praise you, amen.

Lots of love,
Aubrey <><

Tuesday October 12, 2010

“Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.”- Proverbs 19:20-21

How many times have you asked someone’s advice on something, but then you end up just doing your own thing instead? What happened when you did your own thing? Did everything work out perfectly, or did you crash and burn? We always think that we know what is best, but that is not always the case. No matter what we may think, it is God’s plan that always prevails. In the Lord’s Prayer we say, “Thy will be done…” but do we actually mean it every time? Sometimes we want our own will to be done because what we want to do might seem more desirable. Most of the time what God wants us to do will be rough, scary, and uncertain. But we can take comfort that God will be by our side the whole time because we are being obedient to Him – and He loves that! God’s purpose for our lives prevails no matter what…pray that he will reveal His plan for you today.

Dearest Heavenly Father, thank you that your plans are far better than ours. Please guide us through each and every day, and help us to obey the commands that you give us in your Word. Help us not to look to our own selfish desires, but to look to you instead. Give us the wisdom to accept your instruction. In Jesus most holy and precious name, amen.

Lots of love!
Aubrey <><