Refuse to Stay Angry

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May 31, 2013

"Refuse to Stay Angry"

Scripture Reading:    

Ecclesiastes 7:9  (HCSBO)    Don't let your spirit rush to be angry, for anger abides in the heart of fools.

 

Devotion & Meditation:  
One day an eagle swooped down and caught up a weasel. As the big bird flew away, its wings suddenly went limp, and it dropped to the ground like a brick. With just one blow, the tiny weasel struck the eagle's heart and killed it. Bitterness will do the same thing to you!   We all get angry at times, but Solomon says only a fool allows it to move in and take up residence.  Hatred begins like the crack in my windshield. Thanks to a the beet truck on a Montana gravel road, my window was chipped. With time, the nick became a crack and the crack a winding tributary. For a time, I could not drive my car without thinking about the jerk that drove too fast. Though I've never seen him, I could describe him. He's a dead-beat who probably cheats on his wife, drives with a 6-pack on his seat, and keeps his television up so loud that the neighbors can't sleep."  Blind rage will sour your outlook. It'll break your back, not to mention your spirit.  You will begin to slander, malinger and backslide.  Not to mention you'll buckle under the weight of it and your reprobate life will cause you to continue to slide.  The mountain before you is steep enough without carrying that load. (the grudge, the anger) Drop it! You'll never be called upon to give more grace, than God has already given you.  Want to set yourself free today? Pray, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do"   Want to please God? Listen, "If you suffer for doing good, and you are patient, then God is pleased".  The choice to stay angry is yours. 

Keep the Son in your eyes,
Pastor Ben J Lahay 
Galatians 2:20

The Winner Is

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May 30, 2013

"And the Winner Is"

Scripture Reading:    

Romans 6:11 (HCSBO) So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

 

Devotion & Meditation:

There is a never ending battle in the life of every believer between the flesh and the Spirit.  Have you noticed?  Even when we surrender our lives to God, Satan continues to tempt us.  We are never given a reprieve from temptation.  So how do we wage this life long battle?  And who wins.  Read this story with me!  An Alaskan trapper owned several dogs, two of which he trained to fight.  Every month he would bring the dogs, one black and one white to town in order to fight.  The townspeople would bet on the winner; sometimes betting on the black dog and sometimes betting on the white dog.  The owner of the dogs would bet also, and he always won.  One month he'd bet on the black dog, and the black dog would win.  Another month he'd bet on the white dog and the white dog would win.  Some folks finally caught on and asked the man his secret.  "How do you know which dog is going to win?"  The dog owner shrugged his shoulders, and said, "It's easy, really.  The one who wins is the one I feed."

 

Who's going to win in the battle between the Spirit and the flesh?  That's easy , too.  The stronger one is the one we feed.  So we must set our minds on the things of God, seeking to please Him and be obedient to Him in all we do.  In that way, we feed the Spirit, and insure victory over sin, but only if we stop living for self...stop fooling yourself about our faith...Stop faking faith and "get real" with the Lord.

Keep the Son in your eyes,
Pastor Ben J Lahay 
Galatians 2:20

Awesome Jesus

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May 29, 2013

"Awesome Jesus"

Scripture Reading:    

Philippians 2:7-8 (HCSB)  Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men.  And when He had come as a man in His external form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross.

 

Devotion & Meditation:

For alomst two-thousand years men have made Him the object of intensive study and have presented pictures and interpretations of Him to the world, but not one of them satisfies everybody.  This very impossibility of capturing Him completely in a word or phrase, or in the experience or descriptive powers of any individual, is a tribute to His greatness.  Rich and poor, learned and unlettered, men of all classes and all races--all have sought to pour Him into their own molds, because they saw in Him some excellence, some beauty and winsomeness not found elsewhere.  Although Jesus Christ is too great for our small minds, yet He is available and adequate for our every need.  There are plenty of names in Scripture which refer to Who and Whom Jesus of Nazareth is.  A few of them are:  Light of the World, Gate for the Sheep, the Good Shepherd, the Resurrection and the Life, the True Vine, the Bread of Life and the Living water.  Who is Jesus to you?  As our seniors go and complete their last day of school, remember the Awesome Power that got them this far-His name is Jesus!

Keep the Son in your eyes,
Pastor Ben J Lahay 
Galatians 2:20

No Place for Your Head

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May 27, 2013

"No Place for Your Head"

Scripture Reading:    

Luke 9:58 (HCSBO)  Jesus told him, "Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head."

 

Devotion & Meditation:

Many people secretly believe they can create the perfect situation for themselves and their families.  They are constantly hurried with the "fix-ups" that this requires them to perform-on machines or houses or even on the personalities in their families.  In effect, they are trying to make their life on earth perfect.  I am a practitioner of this art of life perfecting; but I have not been too successful.  And then I see Jesus living the wanderer's life.  He is moving from one town to another, preaching, teaching, healing, but always seeming to let others set His agenda.  He is following the flow of physical needs, burning questions and constant challenges.  And where does he stay?  Where does He actually live?  Mainly with friends.  And when His friends leave Him, He camps out.  So Jesus continues walking forward into his daily chaos of pressing needs and savoring each poignant moment.  As always, He comes through to me as a man of paradoxical complexity.  He constantly makes me realize that the opposite of a truth is not always an untruth.  Sometimes, it can be a deeper, profounder truth still.  Therefore, the one who had no place to lay His head could also make an astonishing promise to any who add Him to their lives.  Heaven... a permanent place!

Keep the Son in your eyes,
Pastor Ben J Lahay 
Galatians 2:20

Same Mind

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May 24, 2013

"Same Mind"

Scripture Reading:
2 Corinthians 13:11 (HCSBO)Finally, brothers, rejoice. Be restored, be encouraged, be of the same mind, be at peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.

Devotional Reading:

Paul's letter written to the church at Corinth, is applicable to all of us today.  Notice the passage says "same mind".  This affirms that we will not achieve perfection.  Being restored is a goal, even if we fall short of perfection, we should still be doing an excellent and admirable job.  There are a lot of "perfectionist" people in the world today.  Marriages are torn apart by one or the other partner having perfectionist standards.  Their standards are set so high that no one, even themselves cannot achieve.  Sadly they feel that they are perfect, in reality, they fall short just like all of us.  This self-competence and need to be in control of all circumstances eventually consumes them (and others), until burnout sets in, or the relationship is destroyed.  Striving for perfection is a goal, as God expects excellent servitude, but also know that God understands and is compassionate when you've done your best.  Do your best in all things.  If you let the Lord be in control, rather than ourselves, you will do no wrong! 

Keep the Son in your eyes,
Pastor Ben J Lahay 
Galatians 2:20

unfaitful Bride

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Always Aromatic"

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May 22, 2013

"unfaithful Bride"

Scripture Reading:
Hosea 1:2 (HCSBO)  When the LORD first spoke to Hosea, He said this to him:  Go and marry a promiscuous wife and [have] children of promiscuity, for the whole land has been promiscuous by abandoning the LORD.

Devotional Reading:

Her God is faithful to us, even when we're unfaithful to Him.  It's in that prophetic book of Hosea that God illustrates to us His longing love for a faithful bride.  Hosea was commanded to marry the harlot Gomer, who was unfaithful before and after marriage.  god directed Hosea to marry Gomer and to reclaim her.  We have a God who reclaims us, even in the midst of our unfaithfulness.  We become more radiant and effective the more we understand we're to be faithful to Jesus Christ.  God is faithful to us.  He sent Jesus Christ to die and to rise again.  He asks us to be faithful to that marriage.  God isn't impressed with pedigree.  Where are you with Jesus?  Are you struggling, worrying about being successful?  We need to reframe the whole idea of success.  We need to ask how we become a successful bride.  We need to show faithfulness in whatever situation God has placed us.  Those who are faithful with little can be given much.  However, having much doesn't necessarily mean that we've been faithful.  We can have things in this world and totally miss the things of Christ.  Are you faithfully committed to the cause of Jesus to go-teaching, preaching, discipling, and telling others the good news of Christ?

Keep the Son in your eyes,
Pastor Ben J Lahay 
Galatians 2:20

Love Bears All Things

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May 21, 2013

"Love Bears All"

Scripture Reading:
1 Corinthians 13:7 (HCSBO) bears all things, believes all things,  hopes all things, endures  all things.

Devotional Reading:

When Joseph discovered that Mary was pregnant and decided to break their engagement, he was not aware who had fathered the child. This revelation did not come until after his mind was made up.  Joseph's decision was righteous, and not based upon revenge, anger, bitterness, humiliation, or hatred. It was made so that Mary would not have to pay for her "sin", for this is how her condition would have been viewed. Rather Joseph's choice was based on love. It was true love, the kind that always protects another person. It was not the kind of love that removes or shields people from the consequences of their sin, but the kind of love that allows people's dignity to remain intact amidst whatever consequences may come as a result of their actions.   How different our lives and our world might be if more of us exercised this kind of love when people humiliate, hurt, or disappoint us.  Joseph had a decision to make concerning his bride-to-be. He chose righteously, basing that choice on true love.  God also had a decision to make concerning His bride, the church, which had sinned so grievously against Him since time began. His choice, which came before Joseph's, reflected an even greater righteousness and true love. His resolution to save us from our sin resulted in His Son coming in the form of a baby, who was born to Joseph's fiancee, the virgin Mary. That Son, named Jesus, came so that no one need be destroyed, but by believing in Him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending His Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. Jesus came to help, to put the world right again. Those who trust in Him are acquitted from the guilt of their sin and protected spiritually from eternal death. They are resurrected into abundant life by the power of True Love. 

Who in your life deserves answers based upon love?  Who do you need to believe in without fear?  Who in your life is worth enduring all things for?  "For God so loved you, that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for you!, so you who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."  Friend will you make right relationships, Today?

Keep the Son in your eyes,
Pastor Ben J Lahay 
Galatians 2:20