February 24, 2011

more than enough to spare

Psalm 103: 13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.

 

 

The Father has compassion for his children, and our Father has compassion on each of us. This is a huge promise form God. Compassion, mercy, forgiveness, we get that from the Lord. It is written as “for those who fear Him” Important thing to point out here. Everyone sees the word fear, and point out why should we fear a loving God. While God’s power, is enough to provoke fear, awe, and humbleness form everyone. Fear in this case is more of a moral fear. The Hebrew word used is yare’ (can’t reproduce all of the pronunciation marks) this word means fearing, or morally reverent. So in today’s vernacular it might not make sense to fear one that offers so much compassion, it makes perfect sense to respect the moral base of the one that the compassion flows from. So the Lord offers us compassion like our earthly fathers (and mothers) offer us. Ahh but some might say “Brian, you don’t know my parents. If that is the kind of compassion that the Lord is offering, then I am not interested.” And I would say I understand and agree completely. However, if your parents show little compassion, you should know that there is no amount too great that the Lord will show you. If you think no one can match up to your parents, then you sell our Lord short. There is no comparison that can be made to the amount of mercy that Lord shows us. There is no limit to the distance that the Lord can reach out, accept you back, and lavish His loving mercy, and compassion upon you. While our parents here on earth might have a breaking point, God has no such boundary. Once you realize just how special, just how important, you are to the Lord, then you can see how important it is to reach out to others, and offer the same. I would even go as far as to say that if you find yourself stingy with your love and your mercy, it is because you have not accepted how much God is willing to pour out into your life. You see, this is the beginning point. At a time when we least deserved His love, at a point in time when we least deserved His mercy, He gave us what was most dear to Him. In return He asks us to go out and live that life, show the world His love through our actions. There is nothing to fear, there is nothing to hold back. God has more than enough in store for each and everyone of us. Give that mercy, give that compassion! Live your life out loud! Live it knowing that His mercy is more than enough! 

 

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com

 

February 22, 2011

More than you can imagine

1 Corinthians 2: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” the things God has prepared for those who love him.

 

It is quite easy to become pre occupied with what we do not have. I have talked to some people for whom it is gone to a level of obsessive ness. “I don’t have this, I need that, I want the other thing, and I need it now”. Did you know that you have the one and only thing that you need every morning when you wake up? You carry it with you each day, and it is with you when you lay your head down on your pillow at night. You have the love of God. Each and every one of us has it, and it comes to us undeserved, un requested, and often, unappreciated. Yet He showers us with it daily. I say it is all you need because love will be the only thing that our soul takes when we leave this world. God’s love will be our transport. All of the things you never received, all of the things you never acquired, all of the things that you chased while you lived your earthly life, will mean nothing when you close your eyes for the final time. It will all be nothing more than dust. So if we can’t do much with it after this life, then why focus so much on it now?  Now don’t get me wrong, we all like stuff, but what we have to remember is We have what we need, and in this scripture Paul reminds us what is in store for us. We cannot conceive what God has prepared for us. It is so much, it is so awesome, it is so unbelievable, that we cannot imagine it. Think about that. Think of the happiest you have been, the most content, the most secure….and then multiply that by a million. Hard to imagine huh? That is what God has in store for you….and the best part? It is already yours! With God’s love comes the promise of love, of peace, of contentment, forgiveness, and rest….not just here, but in the life to come. So much more so then that we cannot conceive it! Don’t worry about what you don’t have today, for God has plenty in store for you. Don’t wake up and chase the world. Wake up and chase God. You have His love, you have His grace, His forgiveness, and His peace, what else could you need for this life? You are promised more than you can imagine, why waste time on the temporary, when you are offered the eternal?

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com

 

February 21, 2011

Live by faith

2 Corinthians 5: 7 For we live by faith, not by sight.

 

It was a pretty junky weekend for me this weekend. We had some family issues come up that tend to wear down your spirit, and make it very hard to see any type of path, meaning, or rational understanding of the things you see in front of you.  In short the way the world looks, makes you feel defeated, hopeless, and lost. It is this simple scripture that keeps me sane during times like this.  We live by faith. The world looks crazy, but I have faith that there is a plan, my life looks hopeless, yet faith tells me that there is hope in endless supply. You can’t understand why these things happen, you can’t understand what purpose they serve, but faith reminds us that God has a plan. He is working for the good, even when times seem so bad. It is faith that pulls us through the fire, over the obstacle, and into the next season. Faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain, while sight will tell you it can’t be done. And there is the sweetness of our Lord, and savior. It is not the things we can see that matter, for nothing is impossible for our God. If we live by sight, we have lost before we begin. The world is full of can’t and won’t. Thos words are not in Gods vocabulary. There is nothing that God can’t do, there is nothing that God won’t do for you. There is little doubt that we all go though times where life looks bleak. The road is hard to see, it is bumpy, and it is full of sharp turns. The fog of the world rolls in, and seeing beyond the end of your nose is an impossible task. It is during those moments, that we are reminded that we do not need sight to navigate. It is then that we must close our eyes, and take that next step, not because we can see where we are going, but because we have an unshakeable faith in the Lord that He will set your foot solidly down on the right path, and He will continue to do that for you with each step you take in faith. Yes this world goes crazy from time to time, it gets our of hand, and nothing makes sense. Quit looking at the world and trying to live my sight. Make the next step you take, a step of faith. Live your life with the faith of the Lord in your heart, and know that even in your darkest hour, you can have faith that the Lord is working to cast out the shadows. In the roughest of storms, God is coming with a calming word, and in the confusion of the world, God has the plan, the message, and the direction, that will cut through the impossible things you see, to make them possible. Live by faith, and live the life that God intends for you, it is a life free of doubt, and full of grace. 

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com

 

February 17, 2011

Talking to God

Thanks to Lori, a Godly woman, for inspiring this one. Imagine Jesus walking up to Peter and saying, "Good morning Peter."
Peter responds, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
Jesus says, "Well thank you. That is part of the sample prayer I taught you. So, how was your day?"
Peter replies, "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name..."
Jesus interrupts, "You said that already."
Peter replies, "Give us this day our daily bread and..."
"Wait Peter", Jesus exclaims, "you are just reciting more of that prayer. Talk to me like a person."
Peter pauses, "Now I lay me down to sleep?"Let's not treat God like He is an object instead of a personal being. Yes, He is awesome and Holy, but He wants a relationship with you! Talk to Him. Jesus says in Matthew 6:7, "And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words."
Tell Him your struggles, fears, disappointments and failures. Give Him praise and cherish your time together.

Take the Strength, Leave the Pain

Isaiah 40:29  ” He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak”

Strength to the weary and power to the weak. Man I could use some of that! Couldn’t you? We all struggle with the same issues, we all face the same fears. Yes some have it better, some have it worse, but they are all the same problems. We are not good enough, we don’t have the energy, we can’t find the energy to continue to fight, basically  we don’t have enough of what we need, and too much of what we don’t! So we feel like we are drowning, we feel like we are in over our heads, and out of control. You know what? That is OK. There is an old saying: if you think you are crazy, then you are not crazy, because if you were crazy you would think you were normal. Believe me that is a very true statement. I have seen it first hand. The same can be said about our spiritual struggles. When we are aware that we are struggling, when we are painfully aware that we feel like we are failing, then you can bet that you are not. You are simply being reminded that it is time to get back to the Lord. It is when those around you can see you spiraling out of control, and you think that life is just great, that you need to worry! It is during these time of struggle that we need to remember this scripture. You need strength? You need more power, not enough go-go juice to get through the day? Ask for it! Of course it takes a little more than that, it takes faith. Like I so often say, when you pray for rain, you better carry an umbrella. If you ask for the strength to make it through, you have to have the faith that He will deliver. You have to KNOW that God is there for you. So if you want the strength, expect the strength, and second, you have to give Him what you want to get rid of. If you want room for the blessing, you have to make room. You have to throw out some of the junk you are holding on to…..like that anger, that frustration, that impatience. Le tit go. And I do mean let it go. Give it to God, and turn it loose. You can’t ask Him to fix something, then keep your hands on it. You have to trust that HE will take your problems, and give you the strength to carry on. Take the blessing, leave the pain. Yes it is hard to do. It is hard to believe that something in your life can be fixed without you right in the middle of it, but it can. God has put things in place that are in the process of taking care of you. Will you get out of the way to let Him work? God is ready with a full fuel cell for your spirit, will you make the room for it in your heart?  HE has the strength and the power waiting in the wings, waiting for you to ask, and expect it. Take it, and leave the other.

God Bless,

Brian Thetford
<((((><
www.thenewcovenantchurch.com
www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com

What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas?

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas right? Let’s be real, this saying implies more than just a little fun. It is an encouragement to indulge in sin without being caught. I actually heard this phrase modified down in Mexico on a cruise that my wife and I recently returned from and couldn’t help but think of King David’s acknowledgment to his Heavenly Father in Psalm 139.

“O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.

Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.

Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?

If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!

If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.

If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.

For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.”

- Psalm 139:1-16

Scott Hescht
Psalm 22 Ministries
Psalm22.net
LifeSpringFamily.org

How About a Little Me Time

crying womanJesus was so compassionate! In Matthew 14 His cousin is cruelly beheaded by king Herod. When Jesus hears of it He goes away to be alone and pray. I can imagine that, much like with His friend Lazarus, Jesus was pretty emotional about John’s passing.

So here Jesus is desiring to be alone and the crowds had followed Him. Jesus had every right to ask for “a little me time”. The Bible says though, that He had compassion on them. That is amazing! Even with a death in the family, Jesus still took time to heal the sick. Later that evening, His disciples wanted to send the crowd away. Jesus said that there was no need. He decided that they were going to feed them as well; all 5,000 – 10,000 people! After Jesus met their needs, He went away to pray.

Oh how I want to be like Jesus! He ministered to others spiritually and physically, many times to His own detriment. We are Christ’s ambassadors, created for good works. We have the privilege to bring the Kingdom to the hearts of people through the gospel message and to give a glimpse of that kingdom through mercy and compassion. My hope is that we not allow anything to stand in the way of that; namely ourselves.

Scott Hescht
Psalm 22 Ministries

Psalm22.net
LifeSpringFamily.org

Change??

Acts 9:  19 ….Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.

There is a reason why God used Paul. It was for people like me, perhaps like yourself. You see Paul was not always Paul, he was at one time Saul. While Paul was a great man who gave his entire life to spreading the Word of God, Saul……well he gave his entire life to killing the Word of God, and anyone who would profess the be a follower of Christ. What Saul was, Paul was not. As a matter of fact they were the polar opposite of each other. I need that, maybe you do to. I need to see that Christ can impact your life on such a deep level that you can make the change that you thought was impossible……better yet, you can make the change that others thought was impossible. That my friends is the power of Jesus Christ, that is the power of the truth…..it is the power of our souls. I was not the best person in the world before Christ entered my life. No I was not out hunting down Christians, but I was sure not making great choices, I was not a great father, a great husband….really I was not even that good of a friend. A lot of bad choices, and a lot of encouraging others to come along for the ride. I would be the first to say that I was too far gone, and God really does not need, or want a guy like me…..He sure could not forgive me. How could he? I could not forgive myself. Oh but just like Paul….or should I say Saul, Christ showed up, and He made it quite clear that not only did he forgive me, but He needed me. Not someone else, but ME. He needed me not because I was perfect, but specifically because I was not. There are people out there that need to see the change is not just a possibility, it is an assured fact. They needed to see that a weak willed, misguided, off the path guy, while incapable of change on his own, can transform with the love of Christ. SO God needed, Saul, He needs me, and He needs you. Not because of your perfection, but your lack of it. He uses the weak to conquer the strong, and the foolish to baffle the wise. You might think you can’t change, but Christ knows you can. You might think you can’t be forgiven, but Christ knows your faults, and transgressions, and has more than enough forgiveness for you. You might think you are just a simple human, but the Lord KNOWS you are so much more.  We all can change, and with the Lord, it is a sure thing.

God Bless,
Brian Thetford
<((((><
www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

Thanks Ricky!

I was watching a documentary on NFL player Ricky Williams recently. In an interview he said that there is one good man in a thousand. Williams had seemed to notice that there is something wrong with the state of mankind. It truly is a great observation. Simple, but great.
Nobody is perfect right, but think about that for a moment. We’ve got issues that shouldn’t be downplayed. A lot of people don’t want to focus on it because it lowers our self esteem. We don’t like to focus on the negative.

However, may I suggest that we be a little negative in order to understand a huge positive? That positive is Jesus Christ. Did you know that without the negative, there would be no need for what He accomplished 2,000 years ago? It would be absolutely pointless if mankind wasn’t messed up and in need of salvation.

So it is of the utmost importance to ponder the negative in order to receive the positive. Without understanding our state or just simply denying or ignoring our state we run into a huge dilemma. The work of Jesus becomes vague. He may be still be God in our minds, but He just becomes one who comes along beside us in life to help out occasionally when we need it. We don’t receive the fact that Jesus died to save us from a truly corrupted state.

The truth of the Bible, that is glazed over way too often, is that mankind is messed up. Observe the world around you. Be honest with yourself. It isn’t only in our actions, it’s in our thoughts and intentions. That’s sin. That has separated us from God. God hates sin. We sin. That’s the truth. Without Jesus Christ, God is angry with us. That is the truth. He isn’t smiling upon us. He loves us, but that does not change the fact that He will judge us with righteous judgement. You see God cannot associate with sin. He is holy and pure. You must focus on this negative for a moment, because if you ignore this reality then the good news of Jesus Christ will not hit you like a ton of bricks the way it should.
As the song “Amazing Grace” goes, “I once was blind, but now I see.” This has spiritual connotations. Blindness is darkness. Without Christ, we are in a state of darkness, which the Bible associates with sin. Jesus died for sinners! He didn’t come for those who want to ignore their depraved state and just claim that nobody is perfect! It is true that nobody is perfect and that is a huge problem when it comes to a perfect God. Compared to God’s standard it isn’t one in a thousand that are good. The Bible says none are truly good.

That is what makes the love and grace (undeserved favor) of God so amazing! You see, that the one who realizes his or her sinful state will cling to the cross of Jesus Christ with all the faith they can muster because they realize just what they have been saved from. The point of what Jesus accomplished in dying for our sins and defeating death through His resurrection was to bring us back into a relationship with God through faith in Him. That is the whole point! He appeased God’s anger because He took our punishment upon Himself. Simply amazing, but only understood in light of the negative fact that we are messed up. Thanks Ricky for at least acknowledging this one obvious truth. Now you must receive it through repentant faith in Jesus.

I thank God that He is making all things new through His Son Jesus Christ! His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Begin trusting Him today!