TO WHO ARE WE SPEAKING?

Matthew 6:9-13 (NKJV) - “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. ¹For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

As we dissect this model, we can see nine points that Jesus gives us. We started yesterday with the first point – Faith. Today, let us consider point #2 – Worship – (6:9c) “Hallowed be Your name.”

If our faith is in the right place when we come to pray to the Father, then that will automatically lead us to Worship. What is worship? Is it the song time in the morning church service? That can be. Is it the Sermon? Part of it. Giving our tithes and offerings? That is also a part. So, what IS worship? Worship is defined as an ardent devotion; an adoration; to regard with ardent or adoring esteem or devotion.

In this text, Jesus said, “Hallowed be Your name.” The word “hallowed” in the original Greek is from the root word we translate “holy.” When we worship God, we are to acknowledge that He is Holy. In Jesus’ day when you referred to a person’s name, you were signifying that whole person. Their very being. So, the very person of God is Holy. The word literally means to separate or to purify. To be Holy means that someone or something is separated. Separated from what? In this case, God is Holy, separated from all sin and evil. He is pure, without spot or blemish. So, in a sense, we are acknowledging in our worship that God is perfect in all ways. We are saying, “Holy is your person.”

We start our time with God by acknowledging our faith in Who He is and then acknowledge our worship of How He is.

Today, stop and consider how you approach God? Do you place your faith in Him? Do you recognize who He is? When you realize the Holiness and Majesty of Almighty God, would that make a difference in your view of Him? How you talk to Him? How you treat your relationship with Him? Ponder that today, and we will move to the next point in Jesus’ Model Prayer tomorrow.

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¹ Many of the older manuscripts  omit this last phrase of the prayer. I am including it because of the popularity of the way we say the prayer.

HOPE IN THIS WORLD - PART 4

Text: Joshua 1:9 (NKJV) “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Paul encourages us in Romans 5:1-5 (CSB) that we are a people of HOPE. Listen to God’s Word – “Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Emphasis added).

The circumstances around us can be frightening. They can be discouraging. They can be confusing. We may be overwhelmed. However, as Children of God, He wants us to Trust Him. He wants us to have courage, faith, and HOPE.

So, how can we have hope when everything looks hopeless? In the midst of suffering, we can rejoice because these challenges cause us to do three very important things. We should be doing these daily, but we tend to forget.

As we continue to consider how in the midst of the world upheaval we can be bearers of hope to both ourselves and others we said that the first thing we need to do is Rely on God’s Presence. The next thing we must remember is to Rely on God’s Provision. Today we will consider that we must Rely on God’s Power.

“Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Cor. 12:9b, ESV). (Emphasis added)

What is your weakness? Maybe it is a son or a daughter that hasn’t quite turned out the way you thought he or she would. A job situation that has gone awry. A medical diagnosis that has scared you. Maybe, like Paul, it is also insults, hardships, or persecutions. Maybe it is fear, confusion, and lack of courage with the present world chaos. Whatever it is, Paul says he will boast in those things because when we are weak, the power of Christ rests on us.

The greater the enemy comes at you, the greater Jesus is in you. (Say this with me)

Maybe you hear voices telling you to just quit, give up, and let it go. God says, Don’t stop, when you are weak, then he is strong.

Remember the greater the attack against you, the greater Christ is in you, but you have to rely on His Presence, His Provision and His Power. Today, take a moment to write down what you are suffering from or struggling with and place it in an envelope. On the outside, write, “God’s got this, and He is transforming me.” Now when that challenge comes to mind remember to rely on Him. Look at that sealed envelope and say – “God’s Got This!”

You see, the Power to defeat the fear and chaos inside is Jesus.

Do you see the pattern that God gives us to defeat the fear and turmoil in the world? How we can have Hope and deliver that HOPE to the world around us.

Rely on God’s Presence – JESUS. Rely on God’s Provision – JESUS. Rely on God’s Power – JESUS.

We are facing unsure times.  We may feel overwhelmed by the World. This chaos didn’t start in a day, nor will the fear and panic stop in a day. As His Ambassadors to this world, we are being called about being the voice of reason, peace, and calmness. We need to be bearers of the Good News that we can Rely on God’s Presence even in the “shadows.” We must remember that we have the provision of God. And, both of these areas are Jesus. How can we be sure? Remember that we determine his love based on the Cross and what He did for us on it.

Grace is not an Abstract idea, it is a person, and that person is Jesus. We are His, and He will take care of His own.

Join me in daily praying for God to intervene in this situation and bring out His purpose and plan for us and mankind. And now share with everyone you see that even in the shadow, we can rely on His Presence – the Light – and God’s full Provision – and God’s Power – Jesus.

HOPE IN THIS WORLD - PART 3

Text: Joshua 1:9 (NKJV) “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Paul encourages us in Romans 5:1-5 (CSB) that we are a people of HOPE. Listen to God’s Word – “Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Emphasis added).

The circumstances around us can be frightening. They can be discouraging. They can be confusing. We may be overwhelmed. However, as Children of God, He wants us to trust Him. He wants us to have courage, faith, and HOPE.

So, how can we have hope when everything looks hopeless? In the midst of suffering, we can rejoice because these challenges cause us to do three very important things. We should be doing these daily, but we tend to forget.

As we continue to consider how in the midst of the world upheaval we can be bearers of hope to both ourselves and others we said that the first thing we need to do is Rely on God’s Presence. Today we will consider that the next thing we must remember is to Rely on God’s Provision.

In 2 Corinthians 12:7 (CSB), Paul reveals that he has suffered from a “thorn in the flesh.” “Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so that I would not exalt myself.” There are many ideas of what this “thorn” was, but God left it vague so that we can put our circumstances in this lesson. It can apply to our situation today.

In that case, God was so concerned about Paul not becoming proud he allowed this to happen to him to prevent him from becoming conceited. In our current situation, God is saying to us that his grace is sufficient, and even when we feel weak, he is making us stronger than we have ever been. We must live every day – not by our feelings but by the facts. And the facts are that God has provided us with everything we need.

We need to grasp the understanding that His grace is not an abstract idea. It is the person of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. The hell the world is going through may be the very circumstance God uses to take us to a whole new level. Yesterday we saw that the Light is Jesus. Today, see that all we need is Jesus. Are you seeing a pattern in what God is showing us? We have God’s Presence and God’s Provision. And they are both Jesus.

This chaos didn’t start in a day, nor will the fear and panic stop in a day. As His Ambassadors to this world, we are being called about being the voice of reason, peace, and calmness. We need to be bearers of the Good News that we can Rely on God’s Presence even in the “shadows.” We must remember that we have the provision of God. And, both of these areas are Jesus. How can we be sure? Remember that we determine his love based on the Cross and what He did for us on it.

Grace is not an Abstract idea, it is a person, and that person is Jesus.

Join me in daily praying for God to intervene in this situation and bring out His purpose and plan for us and mankind. And now share with everyone you see that even in the shadow, we can rely on His Presence – the Light – and God’s full Provision – Jesus.

HOPE IN THIS WORLD - PART 2

Text: Joshua 1:9 (NKJV) “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Paul encourages us in Romans 5:1-5 (CSB) that we are a people of HOPE. Listen to God’s Word – “Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Emphasis added).

The circumstances around us can be frightening. They can be discouraging. They can be confusing. We may be overwhelmed. However, as Children of God, He wants us to trust Him. He wants us to have courage, faith, and HOPE.

So, how can we have hope when everything looks hopeless? In the midst of suffering, we can rejoice because these challenges cause us to do three very important things. We should be doing these daily, but we tend to forget.

So, today, we will pick up where we started on Wednesday – remembering how to be Hope in this World today.

The first thing we need to do is to Rely on God’s Presence. Go back and reread the first text today – Joshua 1:9 above.

See the circumstances – Moses is dead. Joshua has been picked to lead the nation of Israel into the Promised Land. Behind him was a giant of a man – Moses. In front of him a giant of a task – bringing the nation into the Promised Land. Think he might have felt a little inadequate? I believe as he was contemplating this assignment he was afraid, doubts, and a lack of confidence. So, God comes and speaks words of encouragement to him. He is talking to us today in the midst of this world upheaval.

When Paul encourages us to rejoice in suffering does not mean celebrating when bad news comes. But, it does mean that we can believe that God is doing a redemptive work.  This word “redemptive” means that God does not waste a hurt or disappointment. He is using them to shape and build us into the image of Jesus, which is his highest passion. (Read Romans 8:29)

When we go through suffering, we often pray and seek God more intensely than at other times. Some of my greatest times of growth have been when I’ve reached the end of my resources and all I have left is Jesus. God uses suffering to make us rely on His presence.

In Psalm 23:4, David writes that he does not fear because God is with him. He relies on God’s presence, and it brings him strength and comfort. Remember that for there to be a shadow, there has to be a light. I don’t know what your “valley of the shadow of death” is, but I do know who the Light is that is walking with you in that valley. That Light is Jesus.

In another Psalm, David reveals that one of the reasons for his joy is that he is forgiven: “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven whose sins are covered (Ps. 31:1, NIV). We don’t determine God’s love for us based on good or bad circumstances. We determine his love based on the Cross and what He did for us on it.

This didn’t start in a day, nor will the fear and panic stop in a day. As His Ambassadors to this world, we are being called about being the voice of reason, peace, and calmness. We need to be bearers of the Good News that we can Rely on God’s Presence even in the “shadows.” How can we be sure? Remember that we determine his love based on the Cross and what He did for us on it.

Join me in daily praying for God to intervene in this situation and bring out His purpose and plan for us and mankind. And now share with everyone you see that even in the shadow, we can rely on His Presence – the Light – Jesus.

SPRING HAS SPRING

Matthew 6:34 (CSB) - “Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

About this time of year, somebody inevitably says, “Spring has sprung; the grass has ris’. I wonder where the flowers is.” When I checked, I learned that the author of that quote is unknown and I also discovered that the common saying questions “where the birdies is,” rather than flowers. Anyway, that little poem keeps coming to mind, because the winter this year has been so warm.

The flowers have ris’. Daffodils and crocus began blooming in the middle of February. Flowering bushes are now showing color, tree buds are ready to burst open, and the grass is greening up. The Yellow cloud of pollen will soon be spreading.

I love Spring. For many, it is their favorite season of the year. I love the green grass, the splashes of color from flowers, birds returning, and farmers plowing their fields. But this year, it’s hard to be sure Spring has truly sprung.

A long cold spell and big snow could still come tomorrow. How do you know when Spring has sprung when the warm days outnumbered the cold days all winter long?

One year, I saw the first fully-opened daffodils in early February. When I saw that cluster of bright yellow shining on a dreary winter day, I grieved. I wanted to tell them, “It’s too early! Go back to sleep before a cold snap comes, wilts your sunny heads, and cuts short your brief time of glory.”

But the cold snap never came and more and more flowers bloomed. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy many of them. I was too anxious about a hard freeze killing them. As weeks passed, I realized Spring arrived early that year.

But I missed it. Rather than enjoying the season, I was anxious all the way through it. I felt robbed. I purposed then to never let that happen again. I can’t stop an early Spring, but I can choose to enjoy it.

It’s made me realize that there are other things in life that we might not fully enjoy in the moment. Instead, we worry about the future. How many times have we moaned our loss as we thought of our children going to school for the first time, departing to college, or for married life? Our grief over anticipated separation steals the enjoyment of the day.

Some people are hampered at work because they fear losing their job. Likewise, a diagnosis of a debilitating illness can rob today’s pleasure, because we’re anxious about what tomorrow might bring. We seem oblivious to the fact that fretting steals our energy, life, and joy. Nor do we realize that it doesn’t alleviate the pain and struggles of tomorrow. Anxiety about what might happen is not only pointless, it’s counterproductive.

In Matthew 6:34, Jesus tells us, “Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Indeed. When we’re anxious, we add tomorrow’s trouble to today. Truly, each day already has enough trouble of its own.

Consequently, let’s enjoy this Spring. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I’m relishing in the life and beauty of today— fluffy clouds against a deep blue sky, greening lawns, waving daffodils, singing birds, colorful bushes, and treetops tinged red from opening leaf buds. All of nature is proclaiming the season.

Spring became official today. New life is breaking forth, and we need to enjoy every minute.