Dear friends, if you are reading this and have not yet bowed the knee to Jesus, let me appeal to you that you turn to Him today and be saved. Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, left the glories of heaven, took on human flesh, was born as a human baby, lived a perfect and sinless life, performed numerous miracles before thousands of eye witnesses, taught with authority explaining the way of salvation by faith in the One true God. He died on a Roman cross to pay the punishment for the sins of humans like you and me, making a way – the only way – for man to be forgiven by a just and holy God, and now He invites us to trust in Him and be saved from the wrath of God.
Giving birth to my stillborn son, Tommy, was a completely different experience than giving birth to my living children, not because the physical pain was less but because there was no expectation of joy to come. It’s hard to watch a mother in obvious pain as she groans and struggles in the pains of labor and childbirth, but the pain she’s experiencing is not without hope. That mother has hope during her pain because she knows that in the end she will hold a precious little bundle of love in her arms.
Earlier this week I saw this definition of HOPE penned on a dry erase board in a friend’s kitchen. Desire plus expectation equals HOPE. Expectation without desire is merely drudgery. Desire without expectation is just wishful thinking. But expectation combined with desire puts fuel in our tanks and joy in our hearts. Hope enables us to keep pushing forward through the pain.
Dear sisters, take heart in Christ. There is something infinitely better than a pot of gold on the other side of the pains of this life. All of creation is groaning today, but everlasting joy is coming. In this world we do indeed have trouble but we can take heart because Jesus has overcome the world. He has triumphed over sin and death. If the Spirit of God dwells in you, then you can have total confidence that you will be raised from the dead, just as Christ was. This is our sure confidence and hope.
If you’ve ever taken care of a 2-year-old, you’ll understand what I’m talking about here. You tell the child that they’re not allowed to have something or do something, and then that is exactly what they absolutely have to have or do. All too often the battle within my own heart looks way too much like my battles with my two-year-old grandchild.
No, Honey, you can’t have that knife. It’s dangerous. Put it down right now.
Oh, Sweetheart, I’m sorry, but you can’t go down the stairs by yourself. Grammy has to hold your hand. You might get hurt.
Well, Love, it’s time for bed. Grammy’s going to read you some books. You can pick three books for me to read. Only three. No, only three. Just three.
Why can’t I obey the Lord promptly, cheerfully, and completely? Why does He have to tell me the same thing time after time, day after day? Don’t I trust Him?
Heavenly Father, I know that You are good and kind. I know that Your Laws are for my good, to keep me safe. I want to bring You glory and honor. Please help me to trust and obey You with all my heart. In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Romans 6:12-7:6
Reading through this passage made me all myself a few questions – maybe you’d like to ask them if yourself, too.
Who is on the throne of my heart? Jesus, Me, the world, or the devil?
Who is reigning over my life? Jesus, Me, the world, or the devil?
Who is my Master? Jesus, Me, the world, or the devil?
Who do I obey? Jesus, Me, the world, or the devil?
Father, I want to obey You because You are a Good King and a Good Master. You want for my good, and not for my harm. Help me to listen to Your Word and Your voice, and help me to trust You and obey. I want to be Your obedient lamb. In the Name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
King of my Heart / Goodness of God – Caleb & Kelsey
Last Sunday I finished an 8-week study about living a “MORE THAN” life in Christ. (I’m hoping to make this into my next book. Will you pray for me about this?) But, anyway, back to the subject at hand, I wanted to share some of one of the lessons as I looked at the life of Mephibosheth, a poor wretch of a man who was adopted into a King’s family. His story can be found in 2 Samuel 9.
Let me begin by sharing a little back story with you before we read. David was the second king of the nation of Israel. The first king, King Saul, along with his son, Jonathan, had recently died. David and Jonathan had been lifelong best friends despite King Saul’s fanatical hatred for David and repeated attempts to take David’s life. Though the family of the newly-crowned David and the family of the former king, Saul, should have been enemies of the highest degree, David was determined to keep his covenant with Jonathan by blessing his descendants.
And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”
And he said, “I am your servant.”
And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?”
Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.”
The king said to him, “Where is he?”
And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.”
Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!”
And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.”
And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.”
And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?”
Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master’s grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall always eat at my table.”
Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table, like one of the king’s sons. And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba’s house became Mephibosheth’s servants.
So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.
2 Samuel 9:1-13 ESV
Certainly Mephibosheth was not expecting to be chosen to be brought into the family by the King. According to human logic and emotions, Mephibosheth should have been the very last to be picked.
Like God had chosen King David, the youngest of Jesse’s sons, David has chosen Mephibosheth, a cripple, the grandson of his enemy, to feast at the king’s table all the days of his life.
In the rural area where I live, there are countless stray dogs roaming around which means there are all too many dead dogs laying on the side of the road, struck dead by a passing car – unloved and unnoticed. Maybe someone would pull over to help a living dog, but a dead dog? Nah.
Mephibosheth sees himself not only as a dog, but a dead dog. Why would David choose him? He is wholly unworthy of this honor. He has done nothing to deserve it, and he has nothing to offer him in return. Like the great 18th century preacher and theologian Jonathan Edwards said, “You contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary.”
And even more awesome than all of the stuff Mephibosheth got to enjoy, more than the produce and the palace and the servants …. Mephibosheth got to enjoy the presence of the King.
All too often we see ourselves more like Eliab, David’s big, strong, older brother, worthy of being chosen by God, rather than like Mephibosheth. The truth of the matter is that from birth we are born enemies of God, cripped by our sin, residents of the enemy’s camp, wholly unable to save ourselves. And while we were living far away in the desolate land of LoDebar, God pursued us, brought us into His palace, seated us at His table, and made us His daughters.
But how is that even possible? How can a holy God invite a sinful person like me into His family? Well, in human terms, it isn’t. With man this is indeed impossible, but with God all things are possible
The miracle of being made a child of God is the greatest conceivable miracle. Like Romans 5:7-8 tells us that one will scarcely die for a righteous person – a just, law-abiding, rule-keeping, moral person – though perhaps for a good person – a truly kind, loving, benevolent person – one would dare even to die. But GOD shows HIS love for us in that while we were STILL SINNERS, Christ died for us.
Jesus died to bring enemies into his family. His kindness is meant to bring us to repentance. He already paid the penalty for our sin, so we don’t have to. When we by faith receive Jesus as our King, we are forgiven, cleansed, made whole and brought into the family.
Friends, like Mephibosheth, we could never be good enough on our own. We could never clean ourselves up enough to march into the king’s palace and take our own seat at the table.
You will never be smart enough, strong enough, or rich enough to deserve God’s love.
You can’t wear enough make-up, lose enough weight, or buy a big enough house to deserve a place in God’s kingdom.
You can’t read your Bible enough, go to church enough, or pray enough to deserve a spot in God’s family.
We’re all lame. We all need to be carried to the table. We need God to take what was dead and make us alive, to take what is unworthy and sinful and make us worthy and righteous.
Thank You, Father, for casting Your loving eyes upon me and bringing me into Your everlasting kingdom. I love You, Lord. You are worthy of all the praise. I’m honored to sit at Your table. The banner over me is love. You have filled me with joy and peace and purpose, and given me new life in Christ. It is in His Name that I pray. Amen.
[Abraham] did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.
Romans 4:19-21 ESV
Don’t you just love that two-word phrase, “fully convinced”? I do. It made me wonder, “What am I fully convinced of? What am I really ‘certain-sure’ about?”
Am I fully convinced that Jesus died on a cross in Jerusalem 2000 years ago, was buried in an empty tomb, and rose from the dead three days later?
Am I fully convinced that the Bible is the inspired word of God Himself and that it has full authority over my life?
Am I fully convinced that God is the eternal, Almighty Creator of the universe and that He will one day judge the living and the dead for how they spent their time on earth?
Is my faith just the “blow out the candles on my birthday cake” wish of a fool, or is it based on the solid, trustworthy, unchanging wisdom of the Lord and His Word?
I hope you’ll take some time today to ponder these questions, and that no matter the size of your faith – whether it’s as small as a mustard seed or as big as an elephant – it will be rooted deep into the bedrock of the Lord who holds you fast.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Philippians 4:2-23
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Philippians 4:8 ESV
What do you fall asleep thinking about?
What is first on your mind when you wake up?
Where does your mind dwell?
When you have a few quiet moments, where do your thoughts naturally run to?
Is it to things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy?
Or is it to things that are anxious, rude, mean, cruel, crude, immoral, and irritable?
Dear sisters, we are caught in a battle, a battle between light and dark, good and evil, God and the devil. So much of that battle is fought in our minds and, sadly, that is where the battle is so often lost. Think about Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 10:5, “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”
If we want to win this battle, we have to think about what we’re thinking about, and forcibly take those rogue thoughts captive to obey Christ.
Ask yourself, “Is this true?” No? Get rid of it! “Is this pure and honorable?” No? Put it away! “Would I want to tell Jesus about these thoughts that I’m dwelling on?” No? Then, cast them away! They don’t belong in your head.
Heavenly Father, help me to think about what I’m thinking about. Help me to recognize the power that the thoughts in my head have over what I say and do and feel. Help me to remember that I am in a battle, and that You are victorious, that I am more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ, the King of kings. Help me to take every thought captive to obey Christ. Help me not to be anxious, but in everything to cast my cares upon You and know without a doubt that You care for me. Help me to rejoice always, to pray without ceasing, and in everything to give thanks, knowing that this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for me. It is in the name of Jesus Christ that I pray. Amen.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Philippians 3:1-11
For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Philippians 3:8b-11 ESV
Knowing You – Graham Kendrick
Heavenly Father, I want knowing You to be my highest goal. Father, I want to know You, intimately, personally. I want to know the power of the Risen Lord. I want to trust You with my whole life, that I can walk by by faith day by day. You’re my all, you’re the best, You’re my joy, my righteousness. I love you, Lord. Draw me close to You. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Savior and Lord I pray. Amen.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Philippians 2:12-30
I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel.
Philippians 2:19-22 ESV
When you read this did you notice how Timothy is concerned not for himself, but for others, and that this is why Paul says Timothy seeks not his own interests, but those of Jesus Christ? Dear sisters, I’m again reminded that serving others IS serving Christ.
I can serve the Lord by serving my husband breakfast. I can serve the Lord by listening attentively to my children as they tell me about their day. I can serve the Lord by washing dirty dishes and dirty socks. I can serve the Lord by chatting with a stranger in Walmart.
Father, help me to look to the needs of others rather than myself. Help me to love You by loving my neighbor. I want to serve You, so give me the strength to serve the people you’ve made. Give me a humble heart toward You, so I can have a humble heart toward the people around me. This is only possible by Your grace. In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
Read through the Bible in 2 years: Philippians 1:27-2:11
Whether Paul is with the Philippians or whether he is hours away, he wants them to stand firm, having one spirit and one mind with him and with one another, striving side by side for the gospel, not being frightened of anything, because they trust that God is good and that He is on His sovereign throne.
From there Paul moves directly into Philippians 2 which is a more well-known passage, but it’s so good to study it in this context. Paul knows this side-by-side striving for the gospel in the face of opposition will be hard, and they will want to give up, so he writes,
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:1-11 ESV
By His Grace and In His Service, I, Kim, a servant of Christ Jesus write to you. Press on. Jesus is worth it. Keep going. Whether you can see me or not, I’m right here beside you. We are marching lockstep together, in the Lord’s army together, following the same Master, the Master who became the servant, even to death, death on a cross. We are each chains linked together in the bonds of the Spirit for the sake of the gospel. We need each other. And we can stand firm by the power of God at work in us. For the sake of all those lost souls and for the sake of the Name of our Savior and Lord, press on.
Teach What is Good 
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