Foundations Dec 1, 2010

Wednesday, December 1, 2010
BIBLE IN A YEAR: Jeremiah 28-30 and Titus 3

SCRIPTURE READING

Isaiah 53:6 (NIV); We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

This is the heart of the matter. We have chosen to wander from God and sit in the bog of our sin. Christ took our deserved death sentence and died a brutal death that we may walk in victory. This simple verse paints a perfect – we as wandering sheep and Jesus as the scapegoat, our sins lain upon Him.

This month, as we dive into the events surrounding the birth of Christ, let us keep this verse in mind. He came as a child to redeem us from the bondages of sin. He is the Root of Jesse – the One from whom all things come. He is the Lion of Judah – the descendant of David to rule on an everlasting throne. He is the Lamb of God –the One who paid the final sacrifice for sin. He is the Righteous One – the only blameless and worthy sacrifice. He is the Rider on a White Horse – the one who is coming with vengeance to strike down the nations of those who have opposed Him. Our God, our Jesus, is an alive and active God.

PRAYER and MEDITATION

1.       Spend some time thinking and praying about the names of God mentioned in today’s reading. Which sticks out to you the most? Take time to picture each one and ask the Lord to speak to you through that particular image. Write down the things He reveals to you.

2.       Ask God if there is anything standing in the way of your intimacy with Him. Confess and make right anything that He shows you.

3.       Spend some time in listening prayer, asking the Lord what He wants from you during this Christmas season.

a.       How can you make the most of time with family and friends?

b.      Is there anything or anyone that He wants you to put aside or add to your schedule?

c.       How can you strategically bless others this season? Ask the Holy Spirit for creative plans and ideas.

d.      Ask Him for a promise in this next month about how He wants to make the story of Christmas real to you. Write it down and thank Him for it.

Foundations Nov 30, 2010

Tuesday, November 30, 2010
BIBLE IN A YEAR: Jeremiah 25-27 and Titus 2

THE LONGING TO MAKE A DEEP AND LASTING IMPACT

 
SCRIPTURE READING 

Matt 19:27-30 (ESV) Then Peter said in reply, "See,we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?" Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, in the new world,when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my Name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. But many who and first will be last, and the last first.

As we make decisions in this life, we must keep in mind there implications in the age to come, things done in meekness and obedience now will result in greatness and impact then.  Many people will find that the kingdoms that they built in this life will be taken from them, while those who have maintained meek hearts throughout their earthly lives will receive great authority and honour.  When we truly begin to understand this we can invest all we can in what God values.  In the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5-7), Jesus teaches us to give to our enemies, to fast, to pray and to bless others.  These actions will result in lasting impact.  We must determine the ultimate meaning of the work of our hands. 

PRAYER & MEDITATION

1.   Ask God to give you endurance and perseverance to build into His Kingdom instead of pursuing your own.

2.   In listening prayer, ask God to show you where you are investing your resources (time, energy, money).   Ask Him to help you invest all that you can in what He values, and to help you devalue things of the world.

3.   Ask the Lord to empower you to live out the values in the Sermon on the Mount - to give to our enemies, to fast, to pray and to bless others.

Foundations Nov 29, 2010

Monday, November 29, 2010
BIBLE IN A YEAR: Jeremiah 22-24 and Titus 1

THE LONGING TO MAKE A DEEP AND LASTING IMPACT

 
SCRIPTURE READING 

Matthew 10:42 (NIV) If anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.

Jesus’ Kingdom will be built by those with a radical commitment to serving.  The first commandment is to love God with all our hearts, but the second is to love our neighbours with the same forgiving, selfless love with which we love ourselves.  Serving is the measuring stick for lasting impact.  Many Christians divorce their actions in this life from their impact in the next.  What we do now will matter then, we must keep in mind that the small things done in obedience and meekness now will result in great impact then.  Jesus taught that using our money to do acts of kindness in this age will be remembered and have an impact on our relationships in the age to come.  In fact, Jesus said that when we give money to people in this life and meet them in the age to come, they will remember our gifts (Luke 16:9). Small things done with great love will change the world. 

PRAYER AND MEDITATION

1.   Spend some time in listening prayer - ask God to show you how you are doing in serving your family, co-workers, friends, etc.  Ask Him to show you specific things you can do to serve each person that you live with.

2.   In listening prayer, ask God to show you if He is pleased with how you are spending your money.  Ask Him to show you specific things that you can do to submit your money to Him and give Him control of how you use it.

3.   Thank the Lord that what you do in this life actually matters in the next.  Thank Him for seeing the small things and that He will reward those things in the next age.

Foundations Nov 28, 2010

Sunday, November 28, 2010

THE LONGING TO MAKE A DEEP AND LASTING IMPACT

 
SCRIPTURE READING 

Matthew 28:19 (ESV) Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

God has a big plan for His people – you will disciple nations! Jesus is looking for people who want to make a deep and lasting impact, people who will partner with Him on a level far exceeding just working a job or pursuing personal happiness.  There is something that makes us want to shout good news from the rooftops. Whether it’s sharing the book that changed our marriage or telling someone about the great new computer that we bought, we like communicating to others about things that have brought us joy.  Most people can easily tell you of a teacher or another person who made a deep impact on their life.  But we will only have lasting significance as we walk in obedience.  The longing to make a deep and lasting impact is partially satisfied as we engage in changing the lives of others, which in turn results in rewards of our own.  God gives us these desires with the intent of partnering with us, He wants our cooperation.  He doesn’t need our participation, He wants it. 

PRAYER AND MEDITATION

1.   In listening prayer, ask God to reveal to you areas in your life where you have been living for pursuing personal happiness.  Confess as necessary.

2.    Ask Him to show you specific things that you can change in order to live your life so that you are cooperating with God, partnering with Him.

3.   Thank God for the opportunity to leave a deep and lasting impact, that He wants our participation and desires to have us involved.  Ask Him to help you fulfill this longing in a godly way. 

Foundations Nov 27, 2010

Saturday, November 27, 2010
BIBLE IN A YEAR: Jeremiah 19-21 and 2 Timothy 4

THE LONGING TO MAKE A DEEP AND LASTING IMPACT

 
SCRIPTURE READING 

Luke 19:17 (NKJV) “Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in very little, have authority over ten cities.”

Knowing that we have limited time in this life, we all long to make a difference that will last beyond our moment in time, confirming that our lives have meaning beyond the end of our days.  But, we are not just wired to long to make an impact in this age, but also to make an impact in the age to come.  We were created to do that which is relevant and significant; God designed us to want to make a difference in the lives of others.  We need to know that we are making a contribution that is significant to God, one that He will remember forever.  A life of meaning involves living in a way that contributes to the enrichment of others in this life and in the age to come.  God has called us to be faithful in small things, which tells us that small things are relevant because they are esteemed and remembered by God.  Knowing this gives us strength and confidence to be faithful and diligent while instilling a sense of significance in us.  We can easily become preoccupied with seeking what looks and feels significant to us while devaluing faithfulness in the small things but eternal influence is mainly achieved through our faithfulness in small things.  Only a few are called to do large things, most of the billions of people in history are called to be faithful in small things. 

PRAYER AND MEDITATION

1.   Are you living your life in such as way as to equate faithfulness in everyday things as being esteemed & remembered by God forever?

2.   In listening prayer, ask God to show you what things preoccupy your time and energy preventing you from being faithful in the small things. 

 

3.   Pray that you will learn to accept the small and mundane things as relevant and important to God, ask Him to help you refocus. 

Foundations Nov 26, 2010

Friday, November 26, 2010
BIBLE IN A YEAR: Jeremiah 16-18 and 2 Timothy 3

THE LONGING TO BE WHOLEHEARTED

 
SCRIPTURE READING 

John 14:21, 23 (NIV) Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me...If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching...

In looking for a model of wholeheartedness, we need to look no further than the words of Jesus and recognize that our love for God must be expressed in obedience not merely religious sediment.  Many people today are stumbling through their Christian lives without pursuing obedience.  Jesus requires obedience; we can’t just do our own thing.  We must root out the sin in our lives and fully submit to Him.  Half-hearted believers have too much of God to enjoy sin and too much sin to enjoy God and therefore they are miserable.  Large percentages of believers think living half-heartedly is acceptable, they couldn’t be more wrong.  Some people would consider wholeheartedness as our gift to God but really it’s His gift to us.  In demanding our full attention, He is setting the stage for giving us a life of fullness.  When we radically pursue God and align with Him we are freed to become who we really are.  We begin to have larger capacities to love God and others, a greater inclination to serve with joy and we have less difficulty obeying God. 

PRAYER AND MEDITATION

1.   In what ways have you been doing your own thing instead of living a life of obedience?  

2.   In listening prayer, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you an area of disobedience that God wants to correct in you today.  Confess this as sin and ask the Holy Spirit to forgive you and restore you.

3.   Spend some time thanking Jesus for not letting you get away with living half-heartedly, thank Him for the great rewards of growing in relationship with Him.  Praise Him for the fullness that He wants to give you as you move toward wholeheartedness.