Prodigal: Yes, it took a while but I maintained my focus.
Me: Good, It is a joy to see you.
This is from the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan
“Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” (Luke 14:12-14).
Luke warm People will serve God and others, but there are limits to how far they will go or how much time, money and energy they are willing to give.
God wants to stretch your serving. He wants your private life with Christ to outshine your public ministry. Trust Him and do not be luke warm.
Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Prodigal: I wonder what people think when we sing for the Lord.
Me: Well, we can worship in song but also with words.
Prodigal: Really?
Me: Yes, Let me share some ways to worship.
This is from the book The Dynamics of Whorship by James P. Gills, M.D.
Who do we worship?
He is, first of all Elohim, the eternal Creator who always was and always will be; and He is El Shaddai, our strength, the source of comfort, confidence, and nourishment. He is Jehovah-jireh, who has seen our needs and provided for them even before we know them, and Jehovah-nissi, the One who still calls us to rally around Him so He can perform miracles on our behalf. He is Jehovah-rophe, our kind Physician, and Jehovah-shalom, our peace in every situation, regardless of how circumstances may appear. Jehovah-tsidkenu gives us His righteousness in exchange for our sins, and Jehovah-m’kaddesh sets us apart for His purposes through His own precious blood. He is Jehovah-shammath, who is always present with us and in us, and Jehovah-rohi, the gentle Shepherd who leads us to quiet waters and green pastures. Jehovah-elyon is the Most High exalted above all, and Jehovah-hoseenu knows us even in our mother’s womb. Jehovah-eloheenu is the Lord our God; Jehovah-eloheka is the Lord, Israel’s God; and Jehovah-elohay is the Lord my God. Finally, He is Jehovah-sabaoth, the Lord of all the hosts of heaven and Earth.
This is who we worship! Kinda of amazing isn’t it!
And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.
Me: Sometimes it seems like a long journey to where we need to be.
Prodigal: Yes, we can become tired if we focus on the distance instead of who is with us along this journey.
Me: How right you are.
This is from the book All of Grace by C.H. Spurgeon
It does sound surprising does it not, that it should be possible for a holy God to justify an unholy man? We, according to our natural reliance on good works for our salvation, are always talking about our own goodness and our own worthiness. We stubbornly believe that there must be something in us in order to win the notice of God. Now, God, who sees through all deceptions, knows that there is no goodness whatsoever in us. He says that “there is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). He knows that “all our righteousness are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6) Therefore, the Lord Jesus did not come into the world expecting to find goodness and righteousness, but to bestow them upon those who do not have them. He comes, not because we are just, but to make us so; He “justifieth the ungodly.”
That is why we should be reminded of who we are in Christ. We also praise Him because He is with us.
Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Prodigal: Yes, I am struggling with doubt at the moment.
Me: Let’s gain some insight.
This is from the book Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard J. Foster
Neither should we think of Spiritual Disciplines as some dull drudgery aimed at exterminating laughter from the face of the earth. Joy is the keynote of all the Disciplines. The purpose of the Disciplines is liberation from the stifling slavery to self-interest and fear. When the inner spirit is liberated from all that weighs it down, it can hardly be described as dull drudgery. Singing, dancing, even shouting characterize the Disciplines of the spiritual life.
Feeling weighed down? Fear has taken over. You have not even been aware how fear has slowly taken over your emotions. The Lord has not called us to fear but to release our burden to him. When you have done that then your joy, and laughter will soon follow.
Proverbs 12:1
Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.
Me: I think we have enough time to share about Christ.
Prodigal: I think you do have enough time.
This is from Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss
I have just been to see Mrs. Campbell. In answer to my routine lamentations, she took up a book, and read me…”Wish always, and pray, that the will of God may be wholly fulfilled in you.”
I said despondently, “If peace can only be found at the end of such hard roads, I am sure I shall always be miserable.”
“Are you miserable now?” she asked.
“Yes, just now I am. I am in a disheartened mood, weary of going round and round in circles, committing the same sins, uttering the same confessions, and making no advance.”
“My dear,” she said after a time, “have you a perfectly distinct, settled view of what Christ is to the human soul?”
“I do not know. I understand, of course, more or less perfectly that my salvation depends on Him alone; it is His gift.”
“But do you see with equal clearness that your sanctification must be as fully His gift as your salvation is?”
“No,” I said after a little thought. “I have had a feeling that He has done His part and now I must do mine.”
“My dear,” she said with much tenderness and feeling, “then the first thing you have to do is to learn Christ.”
“But how?”
“On your knees, my child, on your knees.”
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.
I am finishing up my first quilt. It has been a long process. I have tried to sneak in the time several times a month to spend hours sewing the quilt. In the process I have enjoyed seeing it take shape.
I had just finished the first border around the quilt. I was working on the second border of the quilt. I wanted to finish it that Saturday.
The quilt had been going along nicely. I could see the finish line approaching. I had several compliments from how it was looking. I wanted to rush ahead, and complete this part. That Saturday with the other ladies around, I pushed myself. I had to pin the second border to the quilt after the fabric was cut.
I looked around and a lot of chatter was taking place around me with the other ladies. My friend who is helping me, also was chatting, and seemed happy. I decided that I could do this on my own. I decided that I did not need to ask for guidance, or to make sure I was doing everything correctly.
I sew three of the four borders on, and then I am trying to complete the last one. It was getting late. I was getting tired, and my body is telling me it is time to eat soon. I know that I need to start packing up. My friend comes over, and looks at the quilt. Right away she shows me, how I sewed the border in such a way that it will come undone after a while. I did not sew it in a way that reinforced the fabric together. This would make the seams weaker where I sewed. It would not take many washes in the washing machine before it would start coming undone.
The only solution then was to rip out some of the stitches and redo everything. I then knew, looking at the time, I could not finish. This was going to take another day.
I was not upset. I could see my action in all this. I accept the suffering that my mistakes had made. That allowed me to move on, and figure out where to go from there. I will be doing some extra work this week. That is something I can tell you. It is better to find out now, then later on when I find out I have a quilt that is not sturdy and not able to hold up.
This is something as Christians we do not like to admit. We often will be too independent of God. We may see part of a plan. We may agree with the plan. So we rush ahead, and forget to continue to check in with God to make sure that this was the way we are suppose to complete the plan. Then at some point God shows up, and says that plan made things weaker.
See God is interested in not just giving you blessings, your heart’s desires or a good future. He wants to make sure you have the foundation right so that the blessings, heart’s desires, and future will not unravel with one thread at the first sign of difficulty.
The truth is that our lives are delayed sometimes not because of God, but because our spirits are too independent. We are not checking in with God. We have to go back, and fix the weak parts that were created because we did things on our own. That is the only way to move forward, and complete the project.
With that process, it does seem like suffering. We are not good at accepting suffering that we ourselves have made. Sometimes we just need to admit, I have more work today. I have more work because of my path I choose. Don’t blame others. Don’t blame God. Just accept, and get started.
Lord, I sometimes think I know the way on my own, but I need you to continue to guide me. Some days the Lord will tell you you are doing well. Some days there are minor corrections. Some days there are major corrections, but in all of them there is love. God is guiding you to make sure that you are strong.
My quilt might take longer now. Probably just a day longer. It is ok. I have accepted that. I am glad I found out now. I want not only a beautiful quilt, but a strong one also.
Nehemiah 7:2
That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man and Feared God above many.
Prodigal: My friend has some questions about godliness.
Me: I was just reading about that.
This is from the book All of Grace by C.H. Spurgeon
Are you surprised that there is such an expression as that in the Bible, “That justifieth the ungodly”? I have heard that men who hate the doctrines of the Cross bring the charge against God that He saves wicked men and receives to Himself the vilest of the vile. See how this Scripture accepts the charge and plainly states it! By the mouth of His servant, Paul; by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, He takes to Himself the title of “Him that justifieth the ungodly.” He makes those just who are unjust. He forgives those who deserve no favor. Did you think that salvation was for the good and that God’s grace was for the pure and holy who are free from sin? Perhaps you think that if you were excellent, then God would reward you. Maybe you have thought that, because you are not worthy, there could be no way for you to enjoy His favor. You must be somewhat surprised to read a text like this: “Him that justifieth the ungodly.” I do not wonder at your surprise. For, with all my familiarity with the great grace of God, I never cease to wonder at it, either.
To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Me: Animals, flock around you like chickens on a june bug.
Prodigal: It must be my personality.
I have a dog. Animals lovers out there might be interested to know more. My dog is two years old, and still has puppy energy. He loves attention, and takes several walks a day. He is a Malt-tzu. He weights 12 pounds, and loves to play. You will find him often curled up laying right next to me, and just enjoying the time spent.
We were out for the last walk of the night before bed. Before I go further. Romans is one of those dogs who thinks everybody, and everything wants to play with him. He doesn’t understand giving people space.
We were taken one of the regular paths. Another man with his boxer was walking also. We were the only ones out that night. There were no cars, and nobody else was around. People had decided to stay in, and lights were on in the windows around.
Romans sees the boxer, and he pulls the leash in that direction. He does not bark, but he is pulling some. Before I know it, his collar around his neck has slipped off, and he is running full speed in the direction of the boxer, and the man.
This boxer is a big dog, and weighs about 65 pounds. They also have a lot of muscle on them. The man sees my dog, and picks ups his boxer in his hands, and carries the dog. He starts screaming in a panic,” please get your dog away”. He stays paralyzed with fear, and does not move.
Romans who loves to play, thinks this is a game. The man is not trying to leave. He decided to just stand there with his dog in his arms. Romans then starts circling the man, and his dog. He is not barking, but just kinda of jumping around him. Romans thinks this is a game. He thinks this man is joining in the game. I already have figured out this will be difficult to solve. Romans sees me coming, and thinks I want to play also. He does not listen to his sit command, because their is a game that is being played. The man continues to scream, and hold his dog not moving. I am chasing after Romans as Romans is circling this guy with is dog. It was an amusing imagine.
Finally after 4 or 5 laps, Romans gets bored. He realizes this was not a game, and moves on. I am able to grab his collar ,and put his leash back on.
I continued to think about the situation after we continued to walk. I felt very sorry for the man. He had no understanding about what was going on. He let fear control him.
The first thing is my 12 pound dog could never have won a dog fight against a boxer that is full of muscle, that probably weighs at least 65 pounds.
The second thing is my dog could never have won a fight against the man. Even if my dog bite him. It would have been at the ankles. It might have broke the skin or bruised him. My dog could never had pushed him to the ground, and took control of him physically. My dog is 12 pounds, and that man was at least 150.
The third thing is that he didn’t have to stay. He could have just moved on. My dog could not have made him stay.
The fourth thing is that the man did not recognize that my dog was in play mode, and not attack mode. There was not barking, or growling behaviors.
This man was defeated before Romans every made his way to him. This man did not understand that physically he would not have been destroyed. He did not understand that with certain movements he could have solved the problems.
This man allowed fear to tell him, that their was no way out of his situation. He allowed fear to make him believe that my dog could overcome his dog, and him.
That last thing was that this man did not figure out that the enemy was not my dog, but instead his fear. His fear is the what stopped him. His fear is what turned this situation into something that it was not.
We can laugh, feel sad, and understand how this guy felt. What he went through is what we are doing every day and week.
We don’t realize how little power the enemy really has.
We don’t realize how much strength we really have.
We don’t realize we can move on when the enemy does attack.
We don’t realize who the enemy really is.
Satan really does not have that much power.
James 4:7
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
We have amazing strength in Christ.
Ephesians 6:10
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
We can move on from an attack and do not have to stay in the present.
Psalm 129:2
Many times they have persecuted me from my youth up; Yet they have not prevailed against me.
We really do not understand who the enemy is. We think it is a person.
Ephesians 6:12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Finally if satan can get you to stay focused on fear. He does not have to do much of anything. Fear will cause you to instead stay immobilized. You will not move, and stay stuck.
Romans 8:15
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
God is trying to show you that you have allowed the enemy to circle around you, and create a state of fear in your life. The enemy has no power. The enemy is all show with no bite. You are screaming for help, when God has already given you the strength to overcome. Walk away from the fear. See it as it truly is. It cannot stop you, or hurt you. It cannot cause you to fall. It cannot win the battle. Just open your eyes, and believe.
Open your eyes, and see that satan is smaller than a 12 pound dog. You are physically no match for him. Why keep giving your power to satan? Why not stand up tall, and remind satan of the power of the living Lord.
Revelation 1:17
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last.
