“Soul Food Anyone”

 “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4 (NIV)

Jesus is making the connection between God’s Word and food. He invites us to think of God’s Word as a nourishing meal.

As we all know our bodies require food for strength to keep it functioning as it should.  It can only go so long without the proper nourishment.  What about our soul? Does it need to be fed?  Most often my soul does, especially during times in the present day, when “sudden death” happens, that make many people stop to reflect on life and the realization that at any moment it could be your last day to spend time with a loved one or family member. The bottom line is this—we live in a fallen world, and “the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel” (2Corinthians 4:4). The sad truth is that most people do not see the Bible as the absolute authority anymore. As God’s Word continues to be marginalized, unbelief will continue to increase around the world. So fellow, brothers and sisters, let’s begin feeding the soulful with our spiritual conversations?

One way someone may feed their soul is through the practice of prayer.  Prayer is as essential for one’s livelihood. It is a daily communion with God.  Most people eat three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner, to feed their physical bodies. What about prayer?

Today’s cry, perhaps is a prayer need, from the trenches of reminders phrase, “do not be afraid” which is written in the bible 365 times. That’s a daily reminder from God to live every day being fearless.

For some the idea of talking to God—praying—is kind of odd, isn’t it? Back in the day I use to pray to God as if he were a genie in a bottle, I would throw salt over my shoulder and hope that, if we’re lucky, he’ll hear us and act according to our wishes.

Usually when you talk to someone, you can hear his or her response to you. But prayer is different. Prayer looks like you’re basically just talking to yourself. How do you talk with someone who doesn’t necessarily talk back—audibly, at least? And if you believe that God not only listens to prayers but answers them too, how do you distinguish your own thoughts and feelings from God’s answers?

Then there’s the really big question: Does prayer even work?

But really, it’s a “listening prayer” spending some time talking to the Lord and 90% of the time listening to His response biblically, two-way communication—we talk, and God talks; as opposed to a literal listening prayer voice. It follows the biblical instructions concerning prayer. We are to pray in faith (James 1:6) in direct address to God (Matthew 6:9), in Jesus’ name (John 14:13), offered with reverence and humility (Luke 18:13), with perseverance (Luke 18:1), and in submission to God’s will (Matthew 6:10).

What’s the point of praying if God already knows the future, orchestrates what’s going to happen, and knows what we need? And yet, billions of people all over the world practice some form of prayer. Why bother if it doesn’t make a difference? 

Ask a dozen people, “What is prayer?” and you will likely receive a dozen different answers. “It’s talking to God,” one person might say. Another might respond: It saying the Our Father or some might say prayer is asking a higher power for what you want or need with the heart as well; making prayer and relationship inextricably intertwined as one beat belonging together.

 In the midst of trials our transformed heart needs prayer, resembling the heart of God. It’s not so much about getting tangible “results” from God. It is rather an opportunity to know God more fully, to better understand what he wants of each of us, and to establish a lifelong relationship.

James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” This is the very first thing James writes in his letter after his salutation. Why? Because of its import. Many Christians think once they’ve made that decision for Christ that everything will fall into place and life will be that proverbial bowl of cherries. And when trials and tough times come upon them or continue, they begin to question, “why?” Wondering how they could possibly endure horrible circumstances and consider it joy.

Prayer is a lifestyle of humble dependence, of living in community and harmony with God, the source of life, “a way of walking in love.” Certainly that “way” involves more than repeating words and phrases and hoping that those rote words will magically connect us with God.

This topic is very near and dear to my heart because it is a lesson, I’m relearning each and every day of my life. Why would a good and loving God allow us to go through such things as the death of a mother (cancer), a friend and sister committing suicide, plus injury playing sports to ourselves and a childhood friend resulting in his death, such hardships, worry and fear? Surely, if He loved us, He would take all these things away from us. After all, doesn’t loving us mean He wants our lives to be easy and comfortable? Well, no, it doesn’t. One of the most difficult parts of the Christian life is the fact that becoming a disciple of Christ does not make us immune to life’s trials and tribulations. But you know what I have discovered? Spiritual conversations with “Grace”. Matthew 28:19

 The Bible clearly teaches that God loves those who are His children, and He “works all things together for good” for us (Romans 8:28). So that must mean that the trials and tribulations He allows in our lives are part of the working together of all things for good. Therefore, for the believer, all trials and tribulations must have a divine purpose.

God’s joy really is there. Trials and tribulations come with both a purpose and a reward. You can consider each trial joy; you can greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory even when you feel like you are face-first in the mud puddle. You can endure whatever circumstances are making you quake in your boots right now. If you have been saved through faith in Jesus Christ—you have all you need.

Through all of life’s trials and tribulations, we have the victory. "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ." Although we are in a spiritual battle, Satan has no authority over the believer in Christ. God has given us His Word to guide us, His Holy Spirit to enable us, and the privilege of coming to Him anywhere, at any time, to pray about anything.

God Bless You And This Ministry!

“The Flavor of Time”

 One of the most famous songs from the musical Rent asks “how do you measure, measure a year? In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee? In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife? In 525,600 minutes- how do measure a year in the life? How about love? Measure in love.” 

I don’t mean if you actually think about why a second is the length that it is, or if you use a wristwatch or your cell phone or a timer to measure time. What I mean is; what are the important events that you use to mark your “Faith” time? The Bible is clear that faith is measured in terms of both quantity and quality. So, what does that mean?

Before going into my whisper of words noting what the Bible says about faith and how to measure it, I ask you the question, “Is Faith a critical element for being a Christian”? Do we measure time in relation to Christ? Yes, in the fullness of time, God came to earth. That’s what we celebrate at Christmas.

 Hebrews 11:1 says it best: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” We understand this to mean that faith is an action which treats things that have not yet happened, and things which are not empirically evident, as truth. There is no practical distinction between the object of faith and reality to the believer. Faith is the ability to believe indeed.

Well how do you measure a year? With a whispered “peace be still. How do you measure a lifetime of purpose? Doing the things that Jesus Christ would do if He were here physically on the earth, “Christ-like,” and Christ-following. Doing every day, the day, the hard way? 

Sometimes, do you look at time and begin to tire, this isn’t living its existence. This strange fruit, I measure daily with pain on the leaves. Then the sudden smell of flesh is the fruit for the birds to pluck. As for the leaves, they drop so strange because it is the harvest of time. The future looking for someone to take it forward with that church piano playing, “why don’t you call me anymore”. Such an echo of music a sound song of beauty of what is beautiful in God’s eyes. Finally recognizing the qualities God has cherished in the lives of his people; which is one way to determine His concept of beauty, “It was not their physique or stateliness but their faith and service that made them beautiful”. 

Why did Jesus come? While remaining God, Jesus took upon a new nature - a human nature, uniting the divine and the human into one being, one person. Jesus Christ was fully God and fully human.It was the truth of Christmas, the favor of time, “love”. God loved His own and provided a way—the only Way—for us to spend eternity with Him. He gave His only Son to take our punishment for our sins. He paid the price in full, and we are free from condemnation when we accept that free gift of love. "But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" Romans 5:8.

The applications for us today is first for those of us who are waiting. You may be single and waiting for marriage. You may be waiting and hoping for children. You may be stuck in a job you can’t wait to get out of. You may have a tough time with your health, and you’re just waiting for things to get better. I know as a believer, I’m always impatient for things to happen faster with the house of worship as well as my loyalty of action; as far as prayer, reading studying the word and dealing with affliction. 

For those of us who are waiting, sometimes impatiently, here’s the first application: God is the God of perfect timing. “When the right time came…” God is always the God of perfect timing.

Here’s the second application. The whole reason for Christmas is this: God wants you to be his child. God wants that kind of relationship with you. He wants you to experience the intimacy, the privileges, that come from being his child. “Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, everything he has belongs to you” 

By growing in the amount of faith one has and by allowing Christ’s faith to work mightily in him or her, the ability for a Christian to obtain the object of faith, whether it is healing, understanding, or righteousness, becomes even more sure. But you see that’s a challenge at this time of year, in this breakneck time between Christmas and New Year’s, when time seems to be confusing. What day is it? What stores are open? What is for dinner? Who else is popping in? With our familiar schedules mixed up, it’ hard to know just what time it is to take our “Medicine”.

God has given to each a “measure of faith” to use for Him. This “faith” is the gift from which all the other gifts flow. Faith is the first gift we receive (for justification), and faith is the gift that brings the other gifts of the Spirit into our lives. When a person is born again, God gives him gifts as a new member of the family of God. We receive the gifts according to the measure that God has given us, and we exercise the gifts according to the same measure of faith.

“To each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it” (Ephesians 4:7). God deals to everyone his portion. Not everyone receives all the gifts, nor is the same gift given to everyone in the same measure. Our sovereign God distributes each gracious gift according to the measure of faith that He has bestowed on us.

As we finish our Christmas celebrations, as we continue to be in this period of uncertain time, we remember that God is the Lord of all time. How will you measure time? In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee? However, you do, rejoice in the God who came to save us in the fullness of time, to make us his children and heirs of his promises. 

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). This verse gives clear direction and flavor of time which offers genuine hope to the believer in Christ.

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”.Philippians 4:6

God Bless You and This Ministry!