Foundations Nov 1, 2010

Monday, November 1, 2010
BIBLE IN A YEAR: Isaiah 15-17 and Ephesians 6

THE LONGING TO BE ENJOYED BY GOD
 
SCRIPTURE READING 

Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV) The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great
delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

God enjoys you. Most of us know that God forgives us, but we don’t think that He desires to
fellowship with us. Why do you think that Jesus died on the cross? Yes, He wanted to save us, but why? Our Father has affection for His children. We can’t secure this affection by our dedication or achievements. He enjoys us and desires fellowship because that is His character. Our lives have importance and significance because God enjoys us. We are not the sum total of what we accomplish rather we are defined by who it is that desires us. The eternal God of the universe desires to be in relationship with you therefore you have great worth. This answers the greatest need of our hearts, to be enjoyed!

PRAYER  MEDITATION

1. Have you ever thought about why Jesus wanted to save you? How does this change your view of God?

2. Does the fact that God enjoys you and desires to have fellowship with you change the way you
feel about Him? How?

3. Do your personal accomplishments affect how you feel about yourself? Does your success or
lack of success define who you are? What way does God want you to define yourself?

4. Spend some time in thanksgiving prayer; thank Jesus for his redemptive work on the cross.
Thank Him for His enjoyment of you.

Foundations Oct 31, 2010

Sunday, October 30, 2010

THANKFUL SUBMISSION – Submission of the Heart
 
SCRIPTURE READING 

Galatians 5:25 (NIV); “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
Jesus is our Shepherd. The Psalmist said “with your rod and your staff you comfort me” – there is comfort and peace in being guided by one who knows better than you. The Holy Spirit does not prod us forward, nor does He beat us into submission; He is a Guide, convicting and leading us when we willingly submit to Him. 

This verse in Galatians is an appropriate motto for the Christian life – “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Since we have submitted ourselves to the Shepherd, let us follow His direction and go with His leading. John 10 speaks in depth of this analogy and mentions in the passage that the sheep know the Shepherd’s voice and come to Him. We cannot keep in step with the Sprit if we do not know His pace. We cannot submit ourselves completely to Christ if we cannot hear His voice and know His promptings and obey them. 

God is unpredictable – not in an unreliable or a fickle, indecisive way, but in a surprising, controlled and fantastic way. Consider even one aspect of God, such as Provider. He can provide in countless ways, and we are never sure which He will choose, but, if we hold on to His promises, we can be sure that He will provide! The Spirit surprises us as well. This is why we must listen intently and intentionally to what He has to say. Does He want you to speak or to be silent? Does He want you to go out or stay home? Does He want you share what you received from Him or to hold it in your heart and pray? If we listen, we will find the Spirit speaking and directing all the time. Let us allow Him to lead.

PRAYER  MEDITATION

1. Take a few moments to memorize this verse. Maybe you even want to put it up somewhere where you will frequently see it.

2. How do you know that you need to implement this verse into your life? Are there specific areas where you know you are not completely in step with the Spirit? Talk with Him about it.

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you about your life. What does He want from you in the next moments? What about today, or this next month, or for the next year. Ask Him to tune your ears to Him.

Foundations Oct 30, 2010

Saturday, October 30, 2010

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Isaiah 8-10 & Ephesians 4

CORE VALUE #10: Marriage and Family

SCRIPTURE READING 

Proverbs 22:6 (ESV); Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Malachi 2:13-15 (ESV); You cover the LORD’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. But you say, “Why does he not?” Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.

God wants to see the families of His church thrive. He wants to see husbands and wives who are committed to their vows of faithfulness. He wants to see children who are being trained in godliness. The best thing that a couple can do for their family is to keep Christ as the centre of their marriage. Families have a great opportunity to advance God’s Kingdom together! Whatever phase of life you are in, spend some time really meditating on the following listening prayer exercises.

PRAYER & MEDITATION

1. What are some of the things you do to purposefully train your children in godliness. Is there ever a separation between “spirituality” and “everyday stuff” in your home? Ask  the Holy Spirit how you can include Him even more as the centre of your family.  Brainstorm ideas together with Him. (Alternative: pray for your future children OR for children in whose lives you have influence)

2. In what areas does your marriage need to grow? Ask the Holy Spirit how you and your spouse can grow in intimacy. If you and your spouse are on completely different pages, ask the Holy Spirit for His insight. Spend some time praying for your spouse today. (Alternative: Pray about your future marriage OR intercede for the marriages in your immediate family.)

3. Ask Jesus to show you how your family can be a blessing to others as a unit. What can you do together as a family to grow in closeness and to transform the lives of others? (Alternative: What can you do with nieces/nephews/grandchildren/siblings, etc.?)

Foundations Oct 29, 2010

Friday, October 29, 2010

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Isaiah 4-7 & Ephesians 3

THANKFUL SUBMISSION – Submission of the Heart

SCRIPTURE READING 

Psalm 47:5-7 (NIV); “God has ascended amid shouts of joy,
the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise.”
“Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.” Worship is the natural response to God when we recognize His greatness. And worship through song is a fitting gift to Him. Israel would come together in praise and worship, sacrificing pleasing offerings to the Lord and singing, dancing and celebrating together, for they knew that God was great and mighty, the horn of their salvation. Other nations, however, acknowledged their own pagan gods, offering abominable child sacrifices to their idols of wood and stone. God called His people to worship and He called for their worship to be upright. When Israel turned from this to worship other gods and make detestable sacrifices, God’s anger was provoked and their sin did not go unpunished.

God wants real worship. He wants submitted hearts. He wants lives completely surrendered to Him. And yet the igniter of our worship is never our own deeds. We are meant to worship, not because of our own goodness – for we are not good at all – rather we are to worship because God is great and God is good. 

The body is meant to come together in worship. When we sing together as a congregation, we do so because songs of praise are a fitting gift for our King! Participation is not dependent upon feelings, insecurities, sound or aesthetics. 

PRAYER & MEDITATION

1. Meditate on Psalm 147 today. Lift up your praise to God as He shows you things about Himself.

2. Do you hold back in congregational worship because of insecurities or moods/feelings? Do you not sing because you don’t like your voice or do you leave arms by your side because you feel awkward? Ask Jesus to teach you something about true worship today.

3. Do you ever raise your hands and sing your heart out for show? Ask Jesus to help you to worship honestly because of HIS goodness.

Foundations Oct 28, 2010

Thursday, October 28, 2010 -

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Isaiah 1-3 & Ephesians 2

THANKFUL SUBMISSION – Submission of the Heart

SCRIPTURE READING 

John 3:19-21 (ESV); “…the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
 
The Messiah is frequently spoken of in terms of light. Isaiah prophesied Him to be a “light to the nations” – the One who would bring salvation to the entire earth. Solomon said “Your word is a lamp unto my feet” – the Word of God (written and incarnate) guides our paths. John declared God’s light to be an exposure of darkness. God’s holiness comes in the form of light, exposing all that is in darkness. God is a gentleman and gives us reign to accept or decline His purging light, but there is a day of judgment that is coming where the darkness of our deeds, our words and our thoughts will be illuminated. God is so gracious to us, slow to anger and patient to return, giving us time to invite His holy light to reveal darkness, and allow His cleansing blood to heal us and His Spirit to transform us!
 
It can be easy, at least for a time, to put on a show of righteousness. We can treat others kindly and appear to have things together while our thoughts are filled with sin. We smile and hug on the outside while our thoughts are filled with judgment and jealousy. We offer a sympathetic shoulder while our hearts puff up with pride because we are so glad that WE don’t struggle with sin like THAT person. The darkness of our thought life comes in many forms. 
 

PRAYER & MEDITATION

1. Meditate today on God as light. Read John 3:16-21 and 1 John 1. What does the Spirit reveal to you about God through these passages?

2. Allow the Spirit to reveal your thought patters. What does darkness look like in your thoughts? Ask Jesus to illuminate these areas and convict you of things that you need to clean up. How can you be joyfully submissive to Christ’s light today?

3. How can you, now, shine as a light for others today?

Foundations Oct 27, 2010

Wednesday, October 27, 2010 - 

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Song of Sol. 6-8 & Ephesians 1

THANKFUL SUBMISSION – Submission of the Heart

SCRIPTURE READING 

Philippians 4:11-13 (NIV); “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

How many of us can speak these words with conviction and truth? If one outside of the faith would hear of the events of Paul’s life, he or she would likely think that the suffering much outweighed the “happiness.” Paul, however, would disagree as he found much joy in the task that Jesus had set before him, despite opposition. He endured much suffering – beatings, imprisonments, shipwrecks, starvation – he lists them all in 2 Corinthians 11. Contentment for the Christian is something that surpasses the world’s understanding. When we submit our hearts to Christ, even pain, suffering and injustice can be considered joy and gain because we know that it is neither circumstance nor belongings, nor even people from which we draw our strength, our hope and our joy. Contentment comes from the One who is a faithful rock; who was, who is and who is to come; God who does not change like shifting shadows; He who, “in the beginning… laid the foundations of the earth and the heavens… They will perish, but [he will] remain… [he] remain[s] the same and [his] years will never end.” (See Psalm 102)

PRAYER & MEDITATION

1. How have you allowed circumstances to determine your contentment today? Ask the             Holy Spirit to show you if you have already resolved in your heart to be discontented,             unhappy or dissatisfied with anything in your day today.

2. Meditate on Paul’s words in the Philippians 4 passage. Paul’s secret was to trust God             in such a way that He could always say: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Do you take advantage of this secret? Take some time to pray and ask God to grow this kind of trust in you.

3. Spend time asking God what He wants you to be thankful for today and worship Him as the Giver of those things.

Foundations Oct 26, 2010

Tuesday, October 26, 2010 - PRAYER SUMMIT TONIGHT 7pm!

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Song of Sol. 4-5 & Galatians 6

THANKFUL SUBMISSION – Submission of the Heart

SCRIPTURE READING 

Exodus 20:17 (ESV); “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

Luke 12:13-14 (NIV); “Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.’ Jesus replied, ‘Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?’ Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.’”

Materialism is the religion of our society. There is a “legitimate” excuse for the desire of any purchase; personal gain of power or happiness, community and family benefits, efficiency, self-reward – we’ve all done it countless times. But untamed desire uncloaked is covetousness – a sin written on the stone tablets, and if that’s not enough, reiterated by Jesus. For some people it is an unkempt house and rooms full of junk, for others it is an immaculate home with certain prized pieces and for some it is that one “guilty pleasure,” that splurge that is considered ok because it is rare. Possessions in themselves are not bad – God has blessed many righteous (and unrighteous) people with wealth. The true test, then, is in the reflection of the heart. “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” Jesus said. If we allow ourselves to be defined by our possessions and our rights to ownership, we have done God and injustice and violated the last and the first commandment.

PRAYER & MEDITATION

1. Spend some time asking the Holy Spirit to search your heart for areas of greed and covetousness. Confess to God how you have violated His commands.

2. Where do you have pride about your possessions? Ask God to show you this and listen to what He wants to say to you.

3. Ask the Holy Spirit how your pride, greed and covetousness affect you. How are they affecting your family? How are they affecting your relationships with God and others? How are they allowing Satan a foothold in your life?

 
4. What does the Holy Spirit want you to do to change this?

Foundations Oct 25, 2010

Monday, October 25, 2010

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Song of Sol. 1-3 & Galatians 5

THANKFUL SUBMISSION – Submission of the Heart

SCRIPTURE READING 

1 Peter 5:8-9 (NIV); “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

Ephesians 4:27 (NIV); “… do not give the devil a foothold.”

A stronghold is a well-equipped fortress that is nearly impenetrable, offering refuge and safety for those within. For the righteous, David says, God is their salvation and their stronghold. We can look to God as our Defender and Protector.  However, Satan also likes to erect strongholds in our lives – territory that he can claim as his own. When we refuse to submit to God’s leadership, we offer a foothold to Satan and give him an opportunity to possess territory.

The Bible is clear that God does not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can handle. Upon acceptance of and commitment to Christ, the chains of sin and death are loosened and we are no longer slaves to sin. Christ lives in us and the Holy Spirit indwells us, offering us life and freedom. Where there is light, darkness is extinguished, therefore Satan cannot possess one who is following Christ. Nevertheless, he can still capture territory in our lives when we allow him to. Every time we choose to ignore the Spirit, we disobey, rebel against God and allow Satan ground to add a block to his fortress. Let us be attentive to the Spirit’s convictions and quick to confess our sins!

PRAYER & MEDITATION

1. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes today to any rebellion that is in your heart. Ask Him to reveal where you have allowed Satan a foothold in your life. Confess it to Jesus and ask Him what steps you need to take to be free.

2. Spend some time meditating on Romans 6 today. As you read, thank God for saving you.Thank Him for truths that He reveals and pray about things you don’t understand. How does God want to use this chapter to spur you on to follow Him today?

Foundations Oct 24, 2010

Sunday, October 24, 2010

THANKFUL SUBMISSION – Submission in Relationships

SCRIPTURE READING 

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NIV); “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
 
Psalm 55:12-14 (NIV); “If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God.”
 
God has created us as relational beings – people who need companionship to some degree. God spoke to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. There is intimacy and faithfulness within true friendship that we all desire. Most of us have known friendships of loyalty; friends with whom we have overcome insurmountable difficulties, who have encouraged, helped and defended us. And then we have also experienced the pangs of betrayal, as illustrated in the second passage, when friend becomes foe. We need friendships within the body built upon love, submission and honor, so that when a bad decision is made on one’s part, the other has the clout to hold them accountable. Also, our encouragement and love towards those who are outside of the body needs to surpass that of unbelievers! We need to intentionally listen and speak into the needs of those around us.

PRAYER & MEDITATION

1. Who are the close friends that God has ordained in your life? Take some time to thank             God for them and to pray for them.

2. Ask God to reveal how you have neglected friends, treated them badly or taken them for             granted. How do you need to lay aside selfishness and be a better friend?

3. Are you experiencing injustice at the hand of a friend? Take time to meditate upon Psalm         55. Ask God to reveal any sin on your part. Ask Him how to handle your situation with complete love and integrity. (If this does not apply to you, meditate on the Psalm anyways.)

Foundations Oct 23, 2010

Saturday, October 23, 2010

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Ecclesiastes 10-12 & Galatians 4

THANKFUL SUBMISSION – Submission in Relationships

SCRIPTURE READING 

Deuteronomy 5:9-10 (NIV); “You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.”

Though we are not bound by them, the sins of our parents have an effect on us, and similarly, our sins have the capacity to affect our children. Of course this is not to say that we or our children can blame our behavior on the mistakes of others, for it is clear in Scripture that we are accountable to our own choices. However, this passage shows that there is some connection between one generation’s sins and another’s struggles. Take Adam and Eve, for example. They committed what we would call “petty theft” – they ate a fruit that they were told not touch, like a child stealing a cookie from the cookie jar. But through that “innocent” “little” sin, the world fell into rebellion. Closer to home, their sin allowed Satan a foothold that gave sin an entrance into the couple’s immediate family with one son being murdered and the other becoming a murderer. In 1 Samuel 15, rebellion is likened to witchcraft! This sounds extreme until we consider that all sin is rebellion against God which only leaves one other “side” to be on – the enemy’s! Through witchcraft, one directly opens themselves up to the demonic. This realization should bring us to our knees in repentance!

PRAYER & MEDITATION

1. Are there some sins in your past that have never been brought to light? Ask the Holy Spirit what to do with them. Is there someone He wants you to confess to in order to get it out in the open?

2. Ask Jesus to reveal any sins that you haven’t cleared up. Confess them to God and in Jesus’ name, break any authority that they have in your life or in the lives of your children/grandchildren.

3. Spend some time in intercession for your kids, grandchildren, nieces and  nephews, etc. 

today. Listen and pray into what you receive.

4. Two things you can do to learn more are: 1) Listen to part 5 of the Submission             message series and the extended video online and, 2) attend an Encounter Retreat where these things are dealt with.

Foundations Oct 22, 2010

Friday, October 22, 2010

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Ecclesiastes 7-9 & Galatians 3

THANKFUL SUBMISSION – Submission in Relationships

SCRIPTURE READING 

Exodus 20:14 (NIV); “You shall not commit adultery.”

Matthew 5:17-18 (NIV); “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Jesus took the commandment regarding sexual adultery and equated it to lust – adultery of the heart. God is serious about covenants, and marriage is such a bond. It is a covenant between one man and one woman which occurs before God and before others. In marriage, God miraculously fuses two to become one and a new primary relationship is formed, which deems all other relationships as secondary. Marriage is the only allowable context for sex and THIS is one thing society hates about Christianity. Sadly the church has fallen short of her calling and glossed over the magnitude of this sin. The world does not like being told what to do and, in hating morality has rejected God. And yet the moral law still stands. Because God is moral, His creation is moral and we all are subject to His law whether we like it or not and judgment day will be the final proof. In rejecting God, something else has to take precedence, and power and sexual “freedom” rule our society.

When Jesus equated lust with adultery, He also terminated middle ground. Sex is for marriage alone – from first glance to the bedroom and INCLUDING all things in between. The church has evaded this truth and our youth are suffering the consequences.

PRAYER & MEDITATION

1. Taking into consideration the verses above, ask the Holy Spirit to convict you of sexual sin– from lustful looks to marital adultery. 

2. Jesus told us that the pure in heart will see God. Our actions stem from what is in our hearts, so clearly many people are not seeing God like they could. Meditate on this truth (see Matthew 5:8) and ask God what it will take to open your eyes to Him more.

3. If you’re not married, take time to ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you about sexual purity and His standards for you. If you are married, seek the Holy Spirit as to how you can ensure that your marriage bed is kept pure (see Hebrews 13:4).

Foundations Oct 21, 2010

Thursday, October 21, 2010

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Ecclesiastes 4-6 & Galatians 2

THANKFUL SUBMISSION – Submission in Relationships

SCRIPTURE READING 

Psalm 139:14; “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

Job 42:1-6 (NIV); “Then Job replied to the LORD: ‘I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.’”

Respect is the foremost rule in most classrooms – respect the teacher and your peers. We all want to be respected and we feel incredibly violated when we are not. This sense of abuse is God-given in that we are made valuable, which is clear all over Scripture and highlighted in Psalm 139. At the same time, there is a larger scope that we often under-look. Job did everything right, yet he neglected to fear God in the midst of His trial. Though we are fearfully and wonderfully made, there is still much that is too fearful and too wonderful for us to comprehend because God is that much greater!  He is the One who invented wonderfulness and fearfulness! This is the perspective that we miss and though we will never see things entirely from God’s view, we can use what He reveals of it to help us lay down our rights to respect. If we can harness our need for respect and allow the Spirit to transform it into a great submission to His will, we will find that the sinful nature dies much easier. We need to take our knowledge that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” and instead use it to treat others with submission, as individuals who are just as “fearfully and wonderfully made.”

PRAYER & MEDITATION

1. Spend some time meditating on what you have read today. How has your need for personal rights and freedoms caused you to be prideful and demand certain treatment from others?

2. Think of a few people who you “can’t stand.” Ask the Holy Spirit for insight as to how they are precious to Him and wonderfully made. Pray blessing over them.

3. Ask God to show you what He loves and delights about in you.

Foundations Oct 20, 2010

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

BIBLE IN A YEAR:

THANKFUL SUBMISSION – Submission to the Family

SCRIPTURE READING 

John 14:23 (NIV); “Jesus replied, ‘If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.’”

“Home” is a dwelling place, a residence where one lives and can find refuge. Many have walked through the door after a long day and uttered that little saying, “home, sweet home.” A house is the wood, beams and paint that make up the building which holds the “home.” Constantly in Scripture, people are “returning home.” It is the place where one lives and always goes back to. For Israel, the ultimate home was the promise of an eternal city with foundations “whose architect and builder is God.” 

As parents, it is our job to create an environment where our spouses and our children feel safe. We need to be quick to listen and slow to judge, training them in obedience while refraining from condemnation. The home must be a place of unity – where children see the love that their parents have for one another and for them. And for those who are yet to be married or who do not have children, our responsibility is not gone – we need to do our best to create a living space of hospitality and peace where people can enter and feel the presence of the Spirit. Therefore, regular confession is important as the oppression in our own hearts can quickly transfer into our surroundings. “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.”

PRAYER & MEDITATION

1. How can you increase the hospitality and generosity in your home?

2. Is your home a place that your children love to come to, or is it a place of anxiety and             stress? Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal your children’s feelings towards home and ask Him how to proceed?

3. Set aside time this week to pray over your home. If you are married and/or have children,         make this something you do together as a family. Walk around your house, praying  in the rooms and the doorways, asking the Holy Spirit to rain His presence in your home, that people would enter and feel the peace of Christ. Talk afterwards about  how you can create peace and unity as a family.

Foundations Oct 19, 2010

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Proverbs 30-31 & 2 Corinthians 13

THANKFUL SUBMISSION – Submission to the Family

SCRIPTURE READING 

Ephesians 6:1-3 (NIV); “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘“Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.’” 
 
1 Timothy 5:8 (NIV); “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
 
The church does well in seeing the potential of children and youth. We cling to the principle that young people can and do make a difference. We also understand that youth in this day and age are encouraged to rebel and we therefore work to train children in truth and godliness. However, in the hustled pace of a technologically savvy generation, we tend to leave the past in the dust, along with its residents, forgetting the backs upon which our society was built! The Israelites were supposed to continually reflect upon the past so that they would not forget from Whom their deliverance came. The same is true for us, and in that, we are to care for those who came before us. We tend to see “honor thy father and mother” as a Sunday school lesson, when the commandment – along with the other 9 – was meant for all people, including adults! God does not waste His words, so when He tells us that neglecting a family member is worse than being an unbeliever, He is not just spewing words for shock value!

PRAYER & MEDITATION

1. Meditate on Ephesians 6:1-3 & 1 Timothy 5:1-8. What does the Holy Spirit want to say to         you out of these passages?

2. Consider how you talk about your parents to your friends or to your children. How have             you not showed them love and respect? 

3. Spend some time reflecting upon your family. Ask the Holy Spirit how God wants you             to be thankful for your upbringing. This does not mean to be thankful for ungodly acts that may have taken place in your home, but how does God want you to be thankful in what He has done IN SPITE of things that may have happened to you? 

4. If you’ve suffered great injustice in regards to your family, what does God want to say to             you about forgiveness and submission?

Foundations Oct 18, 2010

Monday, October 18, 2010

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Proverbs 27-29 & 2 Corinthians 12

THANKFUL SUBMISSION – Submission to the Family

SCRIPTURE READING 

Proverbs 22:6 (ESV); “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Proverbs 13:24 (NIV); “He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.” 

Our submission to Christ in obedience can greatly affect our children. God told the Israelites explicitly that He was a jealous God, “punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate [him], but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love [him] and keep [his] commandments”. David was one such example. Because his heart was after God’s, because He was quick to repent and He desired to please God with His life, God made Him a great promise: that David’s descendant would always be on the throne until the Messiah’s coming – a picture of God lavishing His love to the thousandth generation. On the other hand, David’s sins of adultery and murder as well as the LACK OF DISCIPLINE he showed his sons caused great grief in Israel. While God did not break His covenant with David, David’s sins resulted in a great split in the kingdom and the wickedness and eternal damnation of many of his sons and other descendants.

PRAYER & MEDITATION

1. Read Exodus 20:4-6. Spend some time asking God to search your heart. Is there anything you are doing – any path that you are going down or sins that you are harboring that will result in grief for your family in the future? Ask Him to reveal to you the effects of your sin and spend some time in confession. Be sure to discuss these things with your spouse if you are married.

2. Meditate on the verses above. If you have children, what does it mean for you to “train   them up” and be “careful to discipline”? 

3. How does God want to use David’s story in your life? For more on that, see 2 Samuel 7  (blessing), 11, 13 & 1 Kings 11 (results of sin)

4. Are there any major changes that God wants to make in your family in regards to teaching and discipline? If you don’t have kids in the home, ask Jesus if there are any changes He wants to make in regards to your attitude about your family.

Foundations Oct 17, 2010

Sunday, October 17, 2010

THANKFUL SUBMISSION – Submission to Family

SCRIPTURE READING 

Genesis 18:18-19 (NIV); “Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”

Family is so important to God. As husband and wife, Adam and Eve’s chief job was procreation – to bring forth godly offspring. As parents, we need to keep this calling at the forefront of our minds. As single adults, we need to remember the family unit that we are a part of. Paul told Timothy to set an example for all Believers, even if they were older than him.

We need to allow God to use our families in the expansion of His Kingdom. This takes effort, creativity and obedience. It is so easy to come home after a day of work and turn on the TV or at least turn off our brains with the intent to “relax.” However, true submission is obedience, and God wants to use our families to impact those around us. Besides, Jesus said that His yoke is easy and His burden light, so when we submit to His promptings, we will actually find more rest! This is one thing to say and another to believe, but if we truly have faith, it will be followed by action.

PRAYER & MEDITATION

1. Set aside time to pray about how God wants to use your family to submit to Christ  in the advancement of His Kingdom:
    a. If you are married without kids, pray with your spouse about how he wants the two of you to be an influential couple.
    b. If you have kids, pray about how God wants to use you as a family. Ask Him to show you how it will impact them.
    c. If you are single or if you don’t really have family, ask Jesus who He wants  you to partner with to make a difference.

2. Ask the Spirit for SPECIFIC, CREATIVE and ACTIVE ways that you can make a difference for His kingdom.

Foundations Oct 16, 2010

Saturday, October 16, 2010

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Proverbs 24-26 & 2 Corinthians 11

THANKFUL SUBMISSION – Submission to Authority

SCRIPTURE READING 

Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV); “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” 

Jesus is the Author and Perfecter of our faith – He is the Founder of salvation and His perfection allows us to be continually renewed and sanctified as we continue in our race. Knowing the eternal victory that would ensue, He submitted Himself to God and laid down His life, enduring the intense pain and the wrath of God on the cross. Crucifixion, performed naked and publically, was meant to bring shame as well as a slow and excruciating death. Jesus scorned the cross’s intent to shame and considered, instead, the benefit that would result. 

We cannot even fathom what Jesus endured on the cross. Hollywood’s depictions are uncomfortable to watch, but they far from do justice to what was accomplished on Calvary. And the writer of Hebrews encourages us with this very imagery saying, “Consider HIM who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” We are to meditate upon Jesus so that we do not lose heart in the middle of suffering and injustice. We must “keep the faith”, “fight the good fight” and “run the race that has been set before us” so that we can “endure to the end” and hear those words: “Well done, my good and faithful servant!”

PRAYER & MEDITATION

1. What from today’s devotional strikes you? How does the Holy Spirit want to use it in your day?
 
2. How does Christ’s work on the cross put things into perspective for you? Spend some  time in worship and praise, thanking God for who He is and for His presence in your life.
 
3. How do you need to be faithful in spite of injustice today? Ask the Lord for strength as you endure.

Foundations Oct 15, 2010

Friday, October 15, 2010

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Proverbs 21-23 & 2 Corinthians 10

THANKFUL SUBMISSION – Submission to Authority

SCRIPTURE READING 

1 Peter 2:13-17 (NIV); “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.”

1 Peter 3:17 (NIV); “It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.”

There IS purpose in submitting to the government and other authorities. Submission is a refreshing quality in a world that prides itself in its pride and rebellion. The church has sorrowfully neglected her role as the hands and feet of Christ. These “little lights of ours” have been smothered – hidden under bushes and “whoohed” out by Satan. We have slithered into dark corners and our witness has fallen between the cracks. We should be EAGER to submit to governing authorities. We must be in tune with the Spirit so that we know how to respond in the heat of the moment. How do you respond to the officer who pulls you over for speeding? What do your kids or friends hear come out of your mouth when the bills come in the mail? Do the things you do and say about the local authorities in your community encourage others to think, speak and act rebelliously or submissively? When we submit even the smallest areas of our lives to Christ, He will use it for the building of His Kingdom!

PRAYER & MEDITATION

1. Consider the questions presented above. What are your answers? Can you think of other examples where you have acted positively or negatively towards governing authorities?

2. Read the verses in 1 Peter a few times over. For each point, pray the truth of it into your own life. Ask the Lord to help you submit to specific authorities. Ask Him how your good deeds silence foolishness. Ask Him to reveal how you’ve used your freedom in Christ to cover up evil deeds. Spend ample time in prayer today.

Foundations Oct 14, 2010

Thursday, October 14, 2010

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Proverbs 18-20 & 2 Corinthians 9

THANKFUL SUBMISSION – Submission to Authority

SCRIPTURE READING 

Mark 12:14-17 (NIV); “Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?” But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at him.”

The Jews were anticipating a Messiah who would come in zealous revolt against an oppressive political system and invoke His own kingdom of justice. On the contrary, Jesus came in humility to preach the Kingdom of God, though it was a radically different Kingdom than expected. “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s”, He said – pay your taxes, obey the law, submit to authority – “and to God what is God’s.” But what IS God’s? Paul tells us in Romans to offer our bodies as living sacrifices to God – as Believers, WE are ENTIRELY God’s. We need to submit ourselves completely to Him, and in doing so, we will submit ourselves to the authorities that He has placed over us. We need to be countercultural in our attitude towards authority. In a world that tells its children to “respect thy neighbor” only to add a clause that self-respect always trumps the respect of others, we must train ourselves and those under our authority to be different – to live as submitted servants to Christ.

PRAYER & MEDITATION

1. God commands us to “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s”. How does the Holy Spirit want to translate this in your life in regards to governmental authority? How have you neglected this command?
 
2. We are called to “Give to God what is God’s” and we know that God has asked for ALL of us. What are you withholding from God today?
 
3. Ask the Lord to reveal to you how you have and are sowing seeds of rebellion into your  children, or into those who are considered under your authority. Ask Him to show you the consequence of this sin and seek Him as to how to stop it.

Foundations Oct 13, 2010

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Proverbs 15-17 & 2 Corinthians 8

THANKFUL SUBMISSION – Submission to the Church
 
SCRIPTURE READING 
Jeremiah 2:13 (NIV); “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”
People are yearning for acceptance and that need for love will trump everything else. Of course, God is the great Lover, and until we find Him, all other lovers will not satisfy.  As the verse above points out, people seek life, but they end up “finding” it outside of God and anything outside of God is not true life.
 
This is why friendship and Christian community is actually so important – when people outside of the church see true love and community within the church, they will desire it. Many other world religions go beyond the inward affection to the outward devotion. This is not to say that their outward acts (praying at specific times, for instance) are pharisaical (religious conduct without any regard to the spirit). They truly believe that outward devotion is important, and it works! People see their commitment and want it. People see their hospitality and camaraderie and acceptance and are drawn to it. The church in the West has become as smitten with materialism and individualism as the secular world and this must stop if we want to win people cross-culturally for Christ.

PRAYER & MEDITATION

1. Meditate on the verse and confess how you have tried to fulfill your longings with things other than God.

2. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how you need to be more welcoming and hospitable within your group of Christian friends?

3. How have you and your Christian friends created exclusivity within your community because of others’ age, race, gender, appearance or personality?

4. Are you willing to allow God to use you as a catalyst for change within your group of friends? If so, then tell Him and ask Him for a strategy as to how you can include people more.

5. Do you need a group of friends within the body? Tell Jesus your desires and ask Him to lead you to the people that He wants you to meet and befriend. 

Foundations Oct 12, 2010

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Proverbs 12-14 & 2 Corinthians 7

THANKFUL SUBMISSION – Submission to the Church

John 15:4 (NIV); “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”

1 Timothy 6:11-12 (NIV); “But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

If we want to be persons of submission and obedience, full of humility and free from pride, we need to stay connected to the Vine, to Christ. If we neglect our personal and intentional time spent with Christ, we will become detached from the vine and our work for Christ will lose its fruitfulness. Pride will creep in quickly because will cease to give glory to God for the things that we see and do.

In order to submit to the church as the body of Christ, we need to continue to pursue an intimate relationship with Jesus on our own time. Without this we will be of little help to the church. Paul tells Timothy to PURSUE righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. We cannot pursue these things without pursuing Christ Himself, who is the giver of these things. We need to know Him as our life-Giver and our Sustainer. A branch that has fallen on the ground ceases to grow, it is dead. We too will be spiritually dead if we allow ourselves to disconnect from Christ.

PRAYER & MEDITATION

1.   Meditate on the verses above. Ask the Holy Spirit to convict you of things that you need to confess. Thank Him for the life He gives you and ask Him how you can do what these passages call you to do.

2.  How do you want to grow in your devotional life? Do you want to know God’s love? Do you want to understand a specific theme in Scripture? Do you want to grow in prayer or Bible reading? Spend time in prayer, telling Jesus what you desire and asking Him where He wants to take you. Ask Him to show you what you need to do to get on the same page as Him. Thank Him for what He will do!

Foundations Oct 11, 2010

Monday, October 11, 2010

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Proverbs 9-11 & 2 Corinthians 6

THANKFUL SUBMISSION – Submission to the Church

Ephesians 4:3-7 (NIV); “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”

As a body, we are ONE UNIT. The person whose hand you shake when you walk through the door may be a foot, the stranger you sit beside could be a vein, the person who welcomes your child to the nursery could be a finger. When we think of it this way, it makes sense how hostility within the church causes damage and brokenness. We all know what physical pain is to some degree. When we treat others at church with resentment or contempt, it clearly will bring pain to the body. We need to uplift and befriend one another. It is important to stay in the church lobby some weekends after the service, or to come early and mingle. It is vital to get involved in volunteerism and to join a cell. As Christians, our primary relationships should be with other believers and those are generally formed within the local church. For some people, these suggestions to unity grate the nerves and shake the core, and if that is the case, then we must WILL ourselves to do them. Every weekend, ask the Lord to give you a challenge for that morning at church and watch Him carry you through and draws you closer to Himself as you obey Him.

PRAYER & MEDITATION

1.       Do the words you just read irk you? How come? Ask Jesus to show you why this is important.

2.       Are you dissatisfied with the church? Ask Jesus what you need to do to deal with this and to get over your inhibitions.

3.       How have you neglected the body? Ask the Holy Spirit to show you and ask Him to help you open yourself up to change.

4.       Ask the Spirit to show you ways that you can submit yourselves to the body this weekend at church. How does He want you to encourage the body by stepping outside of your comfort zone? (I.e. Talking to people in the lobby, inviting someone for lunch, etc.)

Foundations Oct 10, 2010

Sunday, October 10, 2010

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Proverbs 6-8 & 2 Corinthians 5

THANKFUL SUBMISSION – Submission to the Church

SCRIPTURE READING
1 Corinthians 5:1, 3-5 (NIV); “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you… Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.”
This was an extreme case of immorality in the Corinthian church, but it nevertheless points out an important responsibility of Christians. While we are not to be judgmental towards others, there are times when we ARE to confront others lovingly. Of course, confrontation must always be done prayerfully and sensitively and must be instigated and guided by the Spirit. Not all issues are necessary or serious enough to confront. We also have to be very careful to look at ourselves and our own motives – are we confronting out of genuine love for the person, or do we have a personal agenda or a “bone to pick”? We have to make sure that we ourselves are spiritually equipped enough and called to confront someone. We must also consider our relationship with them. It’s often a good idea to bring the issue to their leader first. Seeking direction and discernment from leadership before you act out is a test of humility and will reveal your own motives. Sometimes what we think the Spirit is telling us to do needs to be affirmed by those above us in leadership. Too much damage has been done by people running around confronting anyone they choose because “the Spirit told them to.” Love must be our motive and we must spend time in prayer, searching our own hearts and asking for wisdom and discernment regarding the issue.

PRAYER & MEDITATION
1. Are you being confronted about anything in particular? Take time now to come before Jesus, defenses down, and ask Him if there is any truth to the accusation. If there truly is none, ask Him how He wants to use the situation for good in your life anyways.
2. Is there anyone you want to confront? Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal your own motives.   Ask Him to convict you of sin. Ask Him to bring you to a leader who you can talk and pray with for discernment.

Foundations Oct 9, 2010

Saturday, October 9, 2010

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Proverbs 6-8 & 2 Corinthians 5

THANKFUL SUBMISSION – Submission to the Church

SCRIPTURE READING
1 Samuel 15:22 (NOV); “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”
1 Samuel 15:23 (NIV); “For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king.”
John 15:14 (NIV); “You are my friends if you do what I command.”
In the message series on submission, Pastor Ray pointed out three things that hinge on our submission as Christians: 1) acceptable worship, 2) ministry, and 3) friendship with God. We live in a society of lawlessness and in order to be a subject of God’s Kingdom, we must turn from lawlessness and pursue Christ. Jesus is a good King, but He is a King who demands and expects submission. The story of Saul’s disobedience in 1 Samuel 15 shows that we need submission for both worship and ministry.  God does not care about our worship if we are not obedient to His Lordship. Neither will our ministry reap much fruit if we are not submitting to Christ. Finally, our very relationship and intimacy with the Lord hinges upon our willingness to submit ourselves to Jesus. God says that He will call us friends IF we do what He commands, and what He commands is submission!

PRAYER & MEDITATION
1. Carefully consider the three things that hinge upon our submission to Christ, and in that  our submission to the church. How does the Holy Spirit want to use this knowledge and the verses to convict you of sin?
2. Ask God to show you areas where you are very submissive. What does He want to say to you in regards to your obedience?
3. Begin today by asking God how you need to submit yourself right now and for the rest of  your day. Submission is a step-by-step choice and you can start right now.