Core Belief

How many true beliefs do you have? Not just a superficial belief but a deep down, heartfelt belief. Are there many of them? Do you believe your job will be there for you for as long as you want it? Do you believe you will live to be a hundred years old?

A heartfelt belief in something can be hard to come by. We may have a superficial belief in many things. We can believe someone is truthful with us…until we catch them in a lie. We can believe our job is safe…until we are suddenly laid off. But belief is part of life.

As we live our lives, belief comes and goes. We discover new information that changes our beliefs. We witness events that can reinforce or shake our beliefs. It seems as though we walk through life on ground that is continually moving, as though it is rolling as it might through an earthquake.

However, it is our core belief that will sustain us. Without a core belief, we wander through life like a rudderless boat tossed about on the ocean. What core belief can be based on truth that will never change? The truth of God. John tells us that when we believe that Jesus is born of God, we also love God and his children. This mean that we love God the Father, God the Son, and all his other children.

Loving God’s children is not always easy. Yet, if we truly believe in God’s truth, we will love his children. How can this be? We come to know the truth of God’s Word. God reveals himself and how he loves each one of us. We may not always like what another child of God does, but we can love them as a child of God. This love, just as our belief, becomes part of our inner self.

I pray we all have a heartfelt belief in God. I pray we come to know God’s truth through his Word. I pray each one of us grow in our love for God and for all his children. Believe in God the Father. Believe in God the Son. Know God’s truth. Read God’s Word. Grow in the love of God. Love God’s children.

1 John 5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child.

Open Yourself Up

Have you ever been astonished? Has something so amazing happened that you were speechless? Was it something you thought would never happen? Did it open your eyes to new possibilities? Has that ever happened with regards to something God has done?

Witnessing something amazing can stop us in our tracks. It is especially astounding if it is something we thought was impossible. We are amazed to the point that our mouths drop open, our eyes bulge, and we are speechless. All we can say, “Wow!”

The Jewish people who went along with Peter to take the gospel to a Roman centurion and his household were amazed when the Holy Spirit was poured out on them. They thought the Holy Spirit would only come to the Jews. When they witnessed what happened and how the gentiles responded to the gift of the Holy Spirit, their jaws dropped wide open.

As much as the Jews were astonished, I’m sure the gentiles were surprised as well. They would have been overjoyed. Their heads were throwed back, their hands lifted to the heavens, and they were proclaiming the amazing work of God. The joy they were experiencing is beyond what we can imagine today. We don’t experience the Holy Spirit in quite the way they did early in church history.

Yet, we can experience the Holy Spirit. We can be amazed when he sends us messages. They come in a still, small voice. They come our way through others. The Holy Spirit moves in and around us in many ways and through many people. We just need to open ourselves up to him.

I pray we all are amazed at how the Holy Spirit moves. I pray we experience the Holy being poured out on us. I pray each one of us open ourselves to listening for the Holy Spirit to speak to us. Be amazed. Experience the Holy Spirit. Be in awe. Be moved by the Holy Spirit. Open yourself up to the Holy Spirit.

Acts 10:44-46 While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God.

Sing a New Song

Do you have songs pop into you head? Do you start singing or humming them? Are they songs of joy? Do you they make you feel happy or put you in a good mood? Is your day better when you have a joyous song in your head? Have you ever made up your own song?

If you are like me, there are times when a song comes to mind. It is especially joyful when the song lifts my spirits and makes me feel good. Sometimes, that song will stay in my head all day long. It makes my day better, regardless of what happens.

Children can be quite the joy. They have very little inhibition. They will make up songs about all kinds of things. Usually, they are happy songs. They may be silly, but they make the kids laugh and usually us, too. We laugh along and the kids enjoy it. But when we get to be adults, we are less likely to make up silly new songs. We don’t want people to laugh because we think they are laughing at us rather than with us.

Yet, the Psalmist encourages us to sing a new song. We are encouraged to sing a song from the heart. It doesn’t have to be an old hymn, which none of them are old compared to the Psalms. It doesn’t have to be a song we have heard on the radio. It can simply be a song that comes to our mind that praises or gives thanks to God for who he is and what he has done for us.

So, make up a song and sing it to the Lord. Sing from your heart. God will love hearing your song. It doesn’t have to be grand in the eyes of others. It will be grand in the eyes of God. He will cherish the song you sing from your heart to him. Let your hair down and be vulnerable before God.

I pray we all sing a new song. I pray we sing the praise of our God. I pray each one of us will sing with all our hearts to God and give him the glory in song. Sing your heart out. Sing praises to God. Sing thanks to God. Give God the glory. Sing from your heart. Know that God will cherish your song.

Psalm 98:1-2

O sing to the Lord a new song, 

for he has done marvelous things. 

His right hand and his holy arm 

have gotten him victory. 

The Lord has made known his victory; 

he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.

Partner with Jesus

Does what others receive bother you? If they are recognized for an achievement, do you dislike them? If they receive a special gift, are you jealous? Do you continually compare yourself to others? How do you think that impacts your life in Jesus?

We see it nearly every day. Someone receives a gift and someone else is jealous. Someone is recognized for doing a good job and people turn against them. We often compare ourselves to others. Doing so is bad juju for us.

Jesus explicitly tells Peter not to worry about what will happen to John. Jesus simply tells Peter to follow Him. We are not to worry about what others receive, whether recognition or gifts. We are better off to simply be appreciative of what we receive.

Not only that, but Jesus calls us to partner with Him. In fact, just before Peter asks about John, Jesus had just told Peter to feed His lambs and intimated the kind of death Peter would face. Jesus was giving Peter a mission to carry out for Him. Peter had his feelings hurt because Jesus had asked him three times if he loved Him.

Peter feels like Jesus is calling him out when Jesus is actually giving him the most important mission for the kingdom. It was not Peter’s right to know what Jesus had planned for John. Jesus was calling him into partnership, and he needed to answer affirmatively.

Jesus also calls us into partnership. We are not to worry about what someone else is called to. We are to carry out the mission Jesus has given us. The sooner we have this mindset, the better.

I pray we all choose to partner with Jesus. I pray we stop worrying about others. I pray each one of us will take on the mission Jesus has set before us to further His kingdom here on earth. Be a partner with Jesus. Listen to Him. Carry out His mission. Have the same mind as Jesus.

John 21:22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!”

Freedom of the Spirit

Do you prefer to follow rules or principles? Do you want thinks laid out in black and white or like a lot of gray? Do you like to adhere to tradition or be free to follow your heart? Have you realized one of these binds you and the other sets you free?

Some people prefer hard bound rules, laws, traditions, and everything written out in black and white. They find it easy to be able to check the boxes. They will also insist that everyone else follow these rules, laws, and traditions in the same manner they do.

However, there are some who prefer the freedom to ride the wind. They don’t want to be bound to the hard-set rules. Hand them a few principles or guidelines to follow and they are good to go. They experience freedom in a way the rule followers can never imagine.

We can get so wrapped up in rules and traditions that we no longer have the freedom to follow where the Holy Spirit leads us. There are a variety of traditions surrounding baptism, including infant baptism, baptism only when a child is old enough to make their own decision, and requiring classes for an adult prior to baptism. In some ways, our rules or traditions are set up to be a gatekeeper for God. Do we really think God needs a gatekeeper?

Notice the example of baptism in today’s passage. Philip had followed the Holy Spirit’s guidance, gone to the road he was told to, heard the Ethiopian eunuch reading Isaiah, sat down to explain the gospel of Jesus for a short period of time. We don’t know if it was thirty minutes or three hours. We do know the eunuch believed and asked to be baptized when they were approaching some water and Philip agreed to baptize him. God works through his Holy Spirit. We should not think we are gatekeepers. Instead, we should seek to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit just as Philip did.

I pray we all seek to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. I pray we stop trying to be the gatekeeper for God. I pray each one of us will break free of the hold we have allowed rules to bind us. Follow the Holy Spirit’s lead. Be free of man-made rules. Live in the freedom of Jesus Christ.

Acts 8:36 As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?”

You Know Enough

What would you think if you had and encounter with an angel? How do you think you would react? Do you think you would feel overwhelmed? Would it scare you to death if the angel just appeared out of the blue? Would you do exactly what it told you to do?

We don’t normally encounter angels. In fact, the people of the Bible did not normally encounter angels. You can read the entire Bible and only account for approximately a dozen times in which angels appeared. So, encountering an angel is truly a rare event.

We don’t know what Philip was doing, but he certainly wasn’t expecting an angel to appear. But an angel sent by God suddenly appears to Philip and gives him a mission. Notice the angel doesn’t tell Philip what he is supposed to do. He simply tells Philip to walk down a road. Philip obeyed without question.

As Philip was walking down the road, he encounters an Ethiopian eunuch who serves Candace, who is the queen of the Ethiopians. At that time the Spirit tells Philip to go to the chariot. Philip goes over and discovers the eunuch reading from Isaiah. Philip asks if the eunuch understands. The eunuch says he cannot unless someone explains it to him. Philip begins in Isaiah and explains about Jesus Christ.

We may not encounter an angel, but we can encounter people who do not know or understand the story of Jesus. We can take time to explain the gospel to them. Some will say they do not know enough to teach someone else. However, to teach someone else, all you need to know is more than they do. So, even if you feel unprepared, you know more than many others. And just like Philip, rely on the Spirit to guide you in your explanation.

I pray we all look for opportunities to tell others about Jesus. I pray we listen for the voice of the Spirit. I pray each one of us know that we know enough about Jesus to teach someone else. Seek opportunities. Tell others about Jesus. Trust the Spirit to guide you. You know enough.

Acts 8:26 Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is wilderness road.)

Love Drives Out Fear

What are you afraid of? Do you live with fear? Has it taken hold of you? How do you know if fear has taken hold of you? Have you assessed your behavior and attitude? Would you like to rid yourself of fear? Do you know it is possible? Will you take the steps needed to do it?

Fear can rule our lives without us even knowing it. The obvious expression or experience of fear is when we are scared when something unexpected happens or being afraid and worrying that something bad will happen. In these situations, there is outward manifestation of fear.

We don’t always recognize the fear that is not outwardly expressed by shock or tears. Yet, a very large portion of the world lives with fear. It manifests itself in prejudices, hatred toward others, isolating yourself from the world, and even in broken relationships. Fear can rule our lives in several different ways.

Prejudices are nearly always a result of fear—the fear of the unknown. We will state we do not like the group of people, but fear is the under lying factor. We do not really know them and have made no effort to know them and the fear of not knowing creates the prejudice. This prejudice can then manifest hatred toward that group.

Fear can also cause relationships to fall apart. It may be due to having our hearts broken at some earlier time in our lives resulting in a fear of that happening again. Fear keeps us from fully committing ourselves to someone again. Therefore, our future relationships only get so far until we put an end to them before we feel that heartbreak again.

John tells us the only way to overcome fear is through love. As we grow in our love for others, learning to love as God loves us, fear is driven out of us. The closer we get to the perfect love God has for us, the less fear we live with. We can experience God’s love as we open ourselves up to him.

I pray we open ourselves up to God’s love. I pray we ask God to help us grow in our love for him. I pray each one of us will ask God to help us love others as he loves us and drive out our fear. Experience God’s love. Grow in love. Ask God to help. Drive out your fear through love.

1 John 4:18-19 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us.

God Loves You

Do you know what love is? Have you ever pondered it? Can you explain it to someone else? Do you think of love as only a feeling? Is it something more to you? Have you thought about the extraordinary love God has for you? Are you returning his love?

When we talk about love, we often talk about the emotional love we have for another person. Sometimes we talk about a brotherly or sisterly love we have for someone. We may even talk about the affectionate love we have for animals or foods or possessions.

God’s love far exceeds any love we know in this world. We may be head over heels in love with someone, but that is emotional love that will pass with time. We may love a close friend and are willing to do anything for them, but we cannot do for them what God has done for us. There is no way for us to ever match the love God has for us…and that may be depressing.

But here is the good news. God knows our limitations and does expect us to reach the heights of love he has for us. However, he does desire us to love him the best we can. He wants us to grow in our love, understanding, and respect for him. As we gain a better understanding of the sacrifice he made for us by sending his Son to sacrifice Himself for us, we can grow in our love for God.

I pray we all seek to know God better. I pray we grow in understanding the sacrifice Jesus made for us. I pray each one of us grow in our love of God by appreciating what he has done for us. Know God better. Increase your understanding. Grow in your love for God. Appreciate what he did for you.

1 John 4:9-10 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Discipleship

Have ever wondered what it takes to become a disciple of Jesus? Do think it is as simple as reciting a few words and getting wet? How did you come to that conclusion? Were you taught that by way of tradition? Have you done your own research to discover the truth?

Despite what is often taught by popular opinion, we do not become disciples by simply reciting a few words and getting wet. True, we are saved in that manner, but that doesn’t mean we are disciples. Discipleship requires more. Jesus tells us what it takes to be a disciple in His own words.

Read today’s Scripture carefully…then read it again and again. The description of becoming a disciple is simple, yet not. As we read the passage in reverse, we see that bearing much is what makes us become disciples. But we cannot bear the fruit on our own. So, working extra hard for Jesus in our own strength does not make us disciples, it just makes us worn out.

Bearing fruit is a natural outcome of us abiding in Jesus. When we abide in Him, He abides in us. What does abide mean? We don’t use that word much in our everyday speech. To abide in Jesus is to endure, sustain, withstand, wait, accept, act in accordance with, submit, and remain steadfast. To be a disciple boils down to commitment. We must commit to Jesus fully and always continue in our commitment.

We cannot turn on and off being a disciple. We either are or are not a disciple. By using the word abide, Jesus makes it plain that we must endure and sustain ourselves in Him and His teaching will be in us. This means that we will be in tune with His will and results in us receiving what we for in His name. By being in His will, we will not ask for selfish things but ask in accordance with His will because we know His will.

I pray we all seek to be disciples of Jesus. I pray abide in Jesus. I pray each one of us will endure, wait, and act in accordance with Jesus’ will by submitting to Him. Submit to Jesus. Remain in Him. Endure through Him. Wait for Him. Act in accordance with His will. Be a disciple.

John 15: 7-8 “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

Pruning

Have you ever felt like you have you have been cut short of success? Have you had someone tell you that you did not do as well as you thought you did? Have you had to live through some hard knocks? Did make a certain amount of progress only to have to take two steps back?

Doing your best and being told it isn’t good enough is hard. Pouring everything you have into something only to fall short of the goal can be heartbreaking. When that happens, we can fall hard and remain in the bottomless pit, or we can choose to find the positive in the experience.

I know, finding the positive in a failure can be difficult. But take a look at what Jesus tells us in today’s passage. When we produce fruit for God, he prunes us. That pruning can feel hurtful at times. It can feel like we are being forced to take a step back. Yet, there are times when we must take a step back in order to go forward again. Perhaps going forward again means taking a slightly different direction.

We may produce fruit in one area of our life and God decides it has been enough of that specific fruit. Now, he wants us to produce a different kind of fruit. Our responsibility is to recognize first that God is in control. Second, trust that God knows what he is doing. Third, follow his lead. God trims us along the away so we can produce the fruit he desires us to produce.

I pray we all seek to produce fruit for God. I pray we view his pruning as a positive. I pray each one of us will trust God knows what he is doing and follow his guidance for our lives. Seek to produce fruit. Trust God. Follow God’s guidance. Choose to follow the path God wants you to follow.

John 15:1-2 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit.”