Ten Commandments; Matthew 22:36-40 - "My God"

I woke up this morning singing a song Jeremy Camp sings called "My God" and was so blessed.  I am proclaiming that He is my God.  I refuse to allow things or ways of this world to take over my life to make them my God.  He is the only One who should be our God.  

I am saddened to see so many people who have allowed things/people to become their god.  How many of the ten commandments are broken each and every day because gods have taken the place of the One and Only God?

"And God spoke all these words, saying: 'I am the LORD your God… 

ONE: 'You shall have no other gods before Me.' 

TWO: 'You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.' 

THREE: 'You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.' 

FOUR: 'Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.' 

FIVE: 'Honor your father and your mother.' 

SIX: 'You shall not murder.' 

SEVEN: 'You shall not commit adultery.' 

EIGHT: 'You shall not steal.' 

NINE: 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.' 

TEN: 'You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.' 

Wow!  As you read down through the ten commandments pretty much all of them are broken each and every day by people allowing the world to have control of their lives.  Many say the ten commandments don't apply to today since they were given by God to the Israelites in the Old Testament.  I don't believe that.  If they were important many years ago, they are important today.  For those who argue that, we do have the Lord's words in the New Testament on what the greatest commandment is.

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:36-40). 

If one were to love the Lord "..with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…," wouldn't that mean you would not put worldly things before Him?  I would think so.  God is the Only One who has the attributes of having "…unchanging love…"  He is the Only One who "…sends hope from above…"  He is the Only One who gives us a "…life now from Your victory…"  Woo hoo!

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for being the One I want to follow.  Thank You for giving me strength to stand against the ways of the world.  I pray when things/people try to creep into my life that aren't what You desire of me that You will open my eyes up to them.  I pray for more of You and less of me.  Thank You Jesus for being My Only One.  Amen.

Various Scriptures - Commit to Prayer

Doc has been doing a sermon series called "Serve - Change Your World" with yesterday's sermon entitled "One Person At A Time."  He encouraged us with four points.  Become Aware; Commit to Prayer; Show You Care; and Be Ready to Share.

Commit to Prayer….he encouraged us to not only pray for people but also pray scripture over people.

Pray that the Father would draw them to Jesus...
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.  John 6:44

Pray against the spirit that binds their minds…
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.                    II Cortinthians 4:4

Pray that they come to know God relationally…
"The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”  Romans 8:15

Pray that believers will cross their paths and enter into positive relationships with them…
"Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”  Matthew 9:38

Pray for a revelation of who Jesus is and what He has done for them…

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.  Ephesians 1:17

This morning as I reflect back on yesterday's service I am praying for different ones.  

I pray Psalm 91:1-3 over the one (S) who needs protection from the enemy...

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”  For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.

I pray II Corinthians 5:17 over the the one (C) who accepted the Lord yesterday...

Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come!

I pray Matthew 6:33 over the ones (A, A, B, AGS, J, J, C, B, C, S, B) who acknowledged they want to know from the Lord what His next step is for them…

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Dear Jesus,

I pray You will bless my prayers for these ones.  I pray You will be so real to people that there will be no doubt that You want more of them.  I pray for the ways of the world to be put aside in order for them to have time for You.  Father, thank You for the tool of prayer.  I praise You for listening to my prayers and for blessing me through Your answers.  You are so awesome in the way You bless me!  Thank You Jesus for being The One Who Listens to My Prayers.  Amen.

James 1:2-4 - "Overcomer"

Today has been a rough day emotionally.  I thought I was "ok" until Kylee and Brayden started singing Mandisa's "Overcomer" and I lost it.  Thankfully Doc was sitting beside me at that point in the service so he held me and I cried my eyes out.  My Daddy was an "Overcomer" and because of that I strive to be one too.  He went through over fifty surgeries, beat cancer a few times, broken neck from being hit by a train, gunshot wound…the list goes on and on.  But no matter what he went through he taught me to persevere.  My Daddy lived by James 1:2-4.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

My Daddy stood on such a strong faith while he was on this earth.  It is because of that faith that I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, he is with Jesus today.  When his body became too tired of fighting, he received a perfect body, "…complete, lacking in nothing."  I praise the Lord for this knowledge.  

I have been told by many people that I should be grateful for having such a wonderful relationship with my earthly father because it enables me to have a closer relationship with my Heavenly Father.  I am grateful but it doesn't take away the pain of missing him.  How I treasure the morning phone calls and hearing his voice.  "Sheila Babe, how are you doing today?"  He was always concerned with others and not himself.  

As I reflect back on things I learned from my Daddy, there are so many neat memories I have.  I was sharing with Doc about how he taught me how to cook when going to a potluck.  "You take enough for the whole family to eat.  You take a complete meal so if something happens you will be prepared to feed the family."  I remember one day those words came into play in our lives.  There was going to be a church picnic to celebrate the two hundredth birthday of the United States.  It wasn't going to be a typical potluck.  We were told to bring enough to share with one or two other families who we would sit with.  My Momma was going through surgeries at the time so I was doing the majority of the cooking.  I made:  meatloaf, potatoes, green beans, apple sauce and a chocolate cake.  The family who sat with us brought a bowl with a can of corn in it.  On the way home, Daddy said, "Now you see why we always are prepared!"  A lesson I will never forget!

After my MS diagnosis, my Daddy struggled from time to time when I struggled.  He did everything he could to help us in anyway possible to make life easier.  After moving to Willard, he would drive me home and spend the night in order to help with my commute back to Smuckers.  That's the way he lived his life.  Helping others.

The words to "Overcomer" suited him so well.  He did "Stay in the fight 'til the final round…"  Praise God!  He taught me I am capable of doing anything I set my mind to as long as the Lord is my focus.  For that I am so very grateful.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for my earthly father who loved me so much while on this earth but also shares his love with me now that he's gone through the memories I have.  I praise You, Father, for giving me so many years with him.  I know there were times during my life he could have been taken from this earth but You chose to give me more time with him.  Father, I also thank You for reminding me this morning that not only was my earthly father an "Overcomer" but I also am.  Lord, thank You for my husband during the service and Jack after the service who held me and let me cry today when I broke down.  Thank You for Brandy who prayed for me yesterday and for Marlene who encouraged me today.  Father, You are so awesome in how You care for me.  Happy Father's Day to You and to my earthly father who is with You.  Thank You Jesus for being My Father!  Amen.

Matthew 19:17; Matthew 6:13; John 10:10

3:10 AM….eyes fly open with an urgency to pray…I asked the Lord who and His reply was "D."    I asked Him if there was anything in particular I was to pray for and He replied, "Protection."  I prayed and I prayed and I prayed.  As I prayed, I felt like there was something so much greater going on than I could even begin to imagine.  

After I woke up this morning, I told Doc that I needed to talk to him as my pastor not my husband.  Of course, not too many people wake him up from a dead sleep to discuss such stuff so I had to give him some time to get woke up.  LOL  I told him about the prayer time last night and asked him why God has us pray for people like that in the middle of the night.  The thing that is always perplexing to me is this.  With God being an all-knowing, all-powerful God why does He need us to pray?  Does our prayers change things?  Some times I know He asks us to do things to see if we will be obedient but is that always the case?  

Doc shared when we pray for protection over someone or a situation there is a battle between good and evil going on.  We aren't praying for God to have the strength in the situation because He is an all-powerful God.  But we are praying for the angels who are in battle to have strength.  

Scripture tells us that there are two spiritual forces working in this world.  Matthew 19:17 reads, “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied.“There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”  God is good.  Matthew 6:13 tells us about "the evil one."  We also read in John 10:10 about the evil one. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.  

D is definitely in a battle between good and evil.  As a teenager, he struggled in life but tried to do what was right.  Then he had a few years of doing drugs which in turn caused the stealing, lying, etc. to go on.  The good one out and he had a few years of doing well.  He had a full-time job and life seemed to be getting better.  I don't know what happened but now he has lost his job due to testing positive for drugs.  The stealing has started again in order to support his habit.  My heart breaks for him and his family.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for using me as a prayer warrior.  I pray my prayers made a difference in D's life last night.  I pray, Father, You will put someone before him that will make a difference in his life.  Lord, I pray for the good to win out not only in his life but in others who I know are struggling with drug and alcohol addiction.  Thank You Jesus for being The One I Listen To.  Amen.

II Timothy 1:7; Philippians 4:7; Nehemiah 8:10b - "Our God"

I woke up this morning singing Chris Tomlin's "Our God."  Part of it goes like this…

Our God is greater
Our God is stronger
God, You are higher than any other
Our God is healer
Awesome in power
Our God, our God

I started thinking about how God is greater than everything we go through.  He is greater than…

…the hurt the wife is going through as she buries her husband today

…the hurt the boys felt as they went through their mother's funeral yesterday

…the pain the one is experiencing today from surgery

…the fear the parents are feeling for their addicted daughter

…the uncertainty the one is feeling on where they are to be serving the Lord

…the confusion of one who is hearing voices 

As I was singing this song through my mind I received a text from a friend who received the news there is a chance her cancer has returned.  The testing started yesterday, will continue today and into next week.  She has dealt with so much suffering in her lifetime.  She shared she realizes she lives in bondage, chained to fear because of all of the physical challenges she has been through.  The "hot spots" that showed on the bone scan yesterday are just one more thing to pull her down.  I shared with her some scripture and words of encouragement...

2 Timothy 1:7...God did not give us a spirit that makes us afraid. He gave us a spirit of power, love and self control.

Philippians 4:7…She can do all things through Christ who gives her strength.

Nehemiah 8:10...the joy of The Lord is my strength.

You have The Lord with you…His strength is over you especially when you have none left of your own. His strength is perfect and the more we lean upon it the more of His joy we will have. Do not give into any fear the enemy places upon you.  Claim the joy of The Lord to get You through these days.

Dear Jesus,

Once again I come to you with a heavy heart.  Another friend dealing with the possibility of cancer.  Burying a friend yesterday from cancer was hard.  I pray for her family as they go through these days of not having her with them.  I am claiming the words of "Our God" this morning.  You are greater…You are stronger...You are higher than any other…You are our healer…You are awesome in power….You are our God.  I praise Your Holy Name for being who You are to me!  Thank You Jesus for being My God!  Amen.

Philippians 2:1-11 - "O To Be Like Thee!"

Philippians 2:1-11…

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

I woke up this morning singing the old hymn "O To Be Like Thee!"…

O to be like Thee! blessed Redeemer;
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I'll forfeit all of earth's treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear. 

    O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee!
    Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
    Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
      Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart. 

O to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wand'ring sinners to find. 

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer, others to save. 

O to be like Thee! Lord, I am coming,
Now to receive th' anointing divine;
All that I am and have I am bringing;
Lord, from this moment all shall be Thine. 

O to be like Thee! While I am pleading
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love.
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit for a life which Thou wouldst approve. 

The story behind this song was that the writer, William J. Kirkpatrick, was saddened over seeing a young man who was leading the singing at camp meeting and leaving before the preaching.  He feared the young man truly didn't know the Lord.  He prayed for the young man and the Lord gave him this song to have the young man sing.  The song spoke to the young man so much that he stayed for the preaching and then responded to the altar call.

The desire of our heart should be to be like Jesus.  We need to strive to be like Him in order to spend eternity with Him.  In order for Him to "...Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;…" we first must be ready for Him.  We must be willing to surrender everything to Him.  "Lord, from this moment all shall be Thine…" must be our way of living.  When we surrender everything to Him, we live a life in His Presence.  Living in His Presence means living in His Peace...living in His Joy…living in His Will.  Woo hoo!

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for this song this morning.  I am so grateful for the reminders that come along with it.  Thank You Jesus for Your Presence which includes Your Peace and Your Joy as I live in Your Will.  Lord, I pray for more of You and less of me.  Thank You Jesus for being The One I Surrender To.  Amen.

I Corinthians 6:15-20; Romans 12:1-2 - Our Bodies

¹⁵Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! ¹⁶Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For "the two," He says, "shall become one flesh." ¹⁷But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. ¹⁸Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. ¹⁹Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? ²⁰For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.  1 Corinthians 6:15-20 NKJV 

Last night in our Bible study we were discussing I Corinthians 6.  Specifically the verses pertaining to are bodies being a temple of the Lord.  Everything we do with our body impacts the Lord one way or another.  Every word we say.  Everything we see.  Everything we hear. Everything we touch.  When His Spirit is in us, everything we do is done with Him.  

Just thinking about this concept should make me stop and think before I do, say or hear anything.  There are some questions we must ask ourselves….

Would the Lord sit and watch a TV show or a movie with vowel language?

Would the Lord sit and listen to garbage out of someone's mouth without saying something to them?

Would the Lord allow His eyes to wander to something that wasn't glorifying Him?

Would the Lord speak words of death (negative words) instead of words of life?

When we honor God with our bodies, we our following Paul's words in Romans 12:1-2.  The key to honoring Him with our bodies is the gift that comes along with it.  We will be "…transformed by the renewing of our mind" and we "will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."  Woo hoo!  There is such freedom that comes along with no longing conforming to the world but instead honoring Him with our whole being. 

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the reminders You gave to me in Bible study last night.  Thank You for setting my sights on You and not the world.  I praise Your Holy Name for loving me enough to die for me and then having a continued love that blesses me.  Thank You Father for being The One Who Loves Me.  Amen.