Let Peace Rule

Colossians 3:15
"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

We are conflicted at birth.  I think we may be conflicted at conception.  Babies come out kicking and screaming and needing constant attention.  From there our old sin nature begins.
 
We are born in sin.  Yet when we are reborn or "born again" (saved)... we are called to peace and the formula for reconciliation is in our hearts.  Peace within and peace with others.  There is one key word and one key phrase in this verse that put this all in perspective.  The word is "let".  We must LET peace rule.  Which means we have to give up control.

The phrase is "And be thankful", which sounds like an addendum to the peace verse but is not connected to the next verse so it belongs here because thankfulness which leads to gratitude can help us maintain peace.

The Word says we are conflicted often because we don't get what we want.  That is a problem because we aren't grateful for what we have.  Comparisons and jealousy lead to conflict.  So today I am going to LET peace rule and be thankful.  Maybe tomorrow and the next day too.

In Him,


Pastor Fred 

Grace Plus Nothing

Today's Devotional comes to us from council member Faith Peay.

One of my favorite books , “Grace Plus Nothing” by Jeff Harkin, is a book  I read  a few years ago and it had such an impact on my Christian walk that I love to share.  So here goes:   Let’s face it.  We live in a society that has more information about God than any other place on this planet.  There are more how- to get holy, to be healed, to have prosperity to, well, you name it. But even if you feel you are successful in righteousness, you will still yearn for that abiding peace and lasting satisfaction.  Where are they?  Christians are supposed to have them right?

I had an angry parent to live with who was very religious to a fault.  She knew all of the rules about obeying God, and what you should and should not do.  It was all about doing things right and perfect, and that’s how you get God’s love, approval and favor. It took years to understand that that just isn’t true.  Every Christian must face this truth:  Our righteousness can’t do it.  That’s the first chapter of Jeff’s book.   I felt I could never live up to God’s expectations.  It seemed like everyone was more holy than me.  I felt condemned.  I finally gave up.  I can’t do this, and this allowed God to intervene in a powerful way in my life.  God does not cause your failure,  but he allows you to fail in order to reveal that your righteousness can never satisfy his requirements for righteousness.

The standard of the gospel is always God’s righteousness.  How do we obtain this?

(Romans 3: 21-24) But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is Christ Jesus.

God’s standard is always God’s righteousness, and that is where you find peace.  You do not find peace trusting in your own righteousness, but from trusting only Christ, by having faith in Him and His gift of righteousness.

Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanks for letting me share,

Faith

Outsiders

Daily Devotional

"Outsiders"

Colossians 4:5
"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity."

As the saying goes, "You may be the only Bible some people will ever read." It is definitely wise to be very careful how we represent our faith, particularly to those who are outside the faith. As Christians we too often mess up our initial and subsequent impressions with potential believers. Too often it has been understandably said, "If this is how Christians act, why would I want to be one?" 

We need to more carefully choose our words and monitor our actions in public and private conversations and situations. Especially these days when we are being scrutinized all the time. So, we can't be perfect, as we know, but we could sure clean up our act. How about we clean up from the inside out? Then we could just be who we really are. And..... when we are unwise, admit it right away.

I have acted and spoken in ways that are inappropriate with "outsiders", and for that I am sorry. Perhaps just as much, I am sorry for how I have messed up with "insiders" too. Whether in actions or words, inside or outside, we could all be wiser. That would make the most of every opportunity far more often.

I know I should be more conscientious, how about you?

Humbly,

Pastor Fred

Grace and Peace

I Corinthians 1:3
"Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ"
Paul shares several variations of this basic blessing in all his letters.  This is also exactly what I am feeling today.  I want everyone who reads this today to experience grace and peace.
A great definition of grace is "getting what we don't deserve".  The gift of grace is nothing we earn.  God bestows it to us out of His unconditional love.  He paid for it and it is free to us.  I wish all of you God's grace.
A wonderful illustration of peace is "the peace that passes understanding".  Peace that is beyond our comprehension.  I hope for all of you this kind of peace today.  That at any moment your hearts could be flooded with the goodness, kindness and joy of God's grace and peace.  Receive it today from Him.
I love in this verse the pairing of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father and am connected to Him eternally through my faith in the salvation that comes through my Lord Jesus Christ.
May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today by the power of the Holy Spirit, blessing your every breath with grace and peace.  Receiving it now myself and passing it on to you.
With His Love and mine,
Pastor Fred

Gratitude is a Choice

Today’s devotional is from James MacDonald and was provided by Lifeway stores.

“Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

1Thessalonians 5:18

Gratitude Is a Choice

Life is all about choices.  Attitude is the first one.  When you encounter a situation that isn’t what you think it should be, you must choose to see it like the proverbial glass half-full or the glass half-empty.  Those two paths take you to different places, depending on your attitude.

In Numbers 14 God said to a whole generation of His own children, “I can’t take your attitude anymore.  Go back into the wilderness and die.”  He loved these people; He miraculously and dramatically rescued them.  But no matter what He did for them, they refused to stop murmuring.  So God decided to give their kids the blessing they wouldn’t let Him give to them—all because they refused to change their attitude.

All it would have taken was a heartfelt thank-You.  God would have been pleased if they had just been grateful for all the ways He had protected and cared for them just as He had promised to do.  A simple acknowledgment of what they had received from His hand was all He wanted.  Their gratitude would have changed history.

Pay attention to almost any self-improvement book, magazine article, blog or television talk show that provides a list for a better life, and you’ll find that the number one answer is to be thankful for all the good in your life.  Even pagans see the truth in the choice of a thankful attitude.

A God-centered, faith-oriented, grateful life is a healthier, happier life.  This advice is from people who don’t even know God.  It’s commonly accepted that fulfillment comes when you get outside yourself.  Joy begins to flow when you stop focusing on the glass half-empty and focus instead on the glass half-full by giving thanks.  God’s fullness comes to those who turn from complaining and embrace thankfulness as the focus of their thought life.

Where’s your attitude taking you today?  You may be putting up a good front, but is your heart stuck somewhere between a complaining and a thankful attitude?  Need help getting out of a wilderness?

Begin the trek out with this thought: God is kind and good to offer us another path, the higher road of a thankful attitude.  Let’s get on it.

Faith

I am currently pulling a few Daily Devotionals from the Grace Harbor archives. This devotional written by Kim Caldwell struck a cord with me. Our Women’s Bible Study Group is currently working on a study by Beth Moore titled “When Godly People Do Ungodly Things”. This is a reminder not to give in to the devil’s seduction and be in God’s Word everyday. 2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and heal their land” God is looking for men and women who will live by the Word not just by what they may see, smell, taste, feel and hear. God’s word has to be the absolute authority in your life. When the word of God is mixed with faith it becomes an active, living Word. Faith has to be believed and acted on so it can benefit you. Do you believe a lie?? Do you really believe God?? It is easy to get caught up in the daily stuff of this world and yes we can all fall easy to believe a lie. But when we believe a lie, we forfeit our intimate relationship with God. We cease to be an instrument through which God can get the glory. We forfeit the blessing of getting in on the riches that God has for us. It is a costly thing to believe a lie. My brothers and sisters in Christ……..please do not take your eye off of our Lord…….walk with Jesus and Jesus only……..a believer has no trouble with faith when he sees Jesus. But the devil will do everything possible to keep you away from the BIBLE……why? Because this is where we as Christians see JESUS. When we take our eyes off of Jesus, the road ahead will seem like a huge mountain that you will never be able to cross. You have to be in the Bible everyday to really see what God has in store for your life. Have a friend that will hold you accountable. Go to our Wednesday night bible study class for Men and Women……..come to church on Sunday and get fed the Word of God………stay connected my friends and keep your eye on Jesus. Oh how precious our Lord is. There is only one answer to faith……….and that is GOD. Love in Christ, Kim Caldwell

God Lifts The Pressure

Today’s Devotional comes from the Grace Harbor archives from previous Council Member, Dolly Whitlock: “The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.” Psalm 29:11 In this Psalm, David begins by telling the "mighty ones" to give the Lord glory and strength, and to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. David then goes on to recount the strength that the Lord holds in His voice. The Lord's voice thunders, is full of majesty, breaks the cedars, divides the flames of fire, shakes the wilderness and strips the forest bare. The Psalm ends with the good news that the Lord will give strength to His people, and bless them with peace. What kind of strength do you need today? Physical? Emotional? Mental? Spiritual? Are you lacking peace? What do you need help accepting? facing? forgiving? letting go of? Lift your voice to the Lord as best you can, and ask. Ask Him today for strength and peace, and look forward to hearing the Lord's mighty voice in your spirit. Worship Him in the beauty of holiness, and feel the peace that can be yours today. May Strength And Peace Be Yours Today, Dolly Whitlock

Dry Seasons

Our Tuesday Devotion comes from the archives from Council Member, Gabby Botts. "I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence." Psalm 139:7 I feel compelled to write about the "dry seasons" that one will undoubtedly experience in life from time to time in the Christian walk. If anyone tries to seem "holier than thou" or whatnot and tell you that there aren’t such things as dry spells, and spout off some verse about how God is always with you (which is true by the way, but let me go on), they’re lying. I’m here to tell you there will be times when you don’t feel anything. There will be days, maybe weeks, months, etc, when you have doubts, when you just feel so dried up, and like God is busy with other things, other people, etc. Maybe you feel like you can’t be used. Maybe you’ll get so exasperated you feel like you’ve lost your beliefs. It’s okay. I want to wrap you in my arms and tell you that this is normal, and very okay. Do not hate yourself for feeling this way. Because, faith is not synonymous with belief. Faith is not a blind acceptance. In the midst of these dark times, faith is reminding yourself what you know to be true and believe when you are level headed and at your best (paraphrased from C. S. Lewis). Faith can be associated with a goal. You have to trust that even stagnation is okay for a while as long as you aren’t giving up completely or abandoning your goal of growing closer to Jesus. The kicker is this: you are feeling empty, right? Or alone? Yes, this is proof that God is out there. The absence of your connection is proof that it has been there before, and that He does exist. You are missing Him. To quote Isaac Deitz, who I am proud to call a friend, “It’s like a car doesn’t struggle or feel out of place when it has gas, but it knows that the gas is tangible when it’s on empty.” I find great hope in this, and I hope you will too. You can make it through this dry spell, and when you come out on the other end, you will be so much closer and have that much of a greater appreciation for your relationship with God. I promise. Love you guys.

Great is the Lord

Psalm 145:3 Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom. Just because the Lord is greater than words can say or feelings can feel or songs can sing and we cannot even fathom His greatness, we should keep trying and trying and trying. For my part today I am simply going to say what David said about God just as a reminder of how we can begin to describe His greatness. The following words taken from Psalm 145 just skim the surface of who God is....... enjoy. His majesty is splendorous His awesome works are powerful His abundant goodness is celebrated His righteousness is song worthy He is gracious and compassionate He is rich in love He is good to all His kingdom is glorious His acts are mighty His dominion endures He is faithful to His promises He upholds all who fall He lifts up the bowed down He satisfies our desires He is righteous in all his ways He is near to all who call on Him He hears our cries He saves us He watches over us No wonder Psalm 145 ends with verse 21 which says... My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise His holy name forever and ever. Wow... how good it is to remember how great He is and what that means to us. Eternally grateful, Pastor Fred

Guard Your Heart

Guard Your Heart “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23 God wants our hearts. A legitimate argument can be made that God really does not care about anything else. Why? Because the heart is the wellspring of life. Everything we do flows from it. Our world view; our view of politics; our personal relationships; our work relationships. Everything we think and do flows from the heart. A true conversion to be a “Christ-One,” or a Christian, is a conversion of the heart, not the mere recital of words or the performance of a ritual. Jesus disdained the religious elite of his day who were steeped in words and ritual because He knew their hearts. Today, people of Christian faith are systematically being killed abroad. What is more, those of Christian-based faiths are mocked and ridiculed even here at home. Just share your faith with someone who sports themselves to be one of the all-knowing intellectual elite and wait to hear a response. So what do we do? We do as God commanded. We guard our hearts. We do not let it be filled with hate, or we are no better than the persecutors. We guard our hearts and keep it filled with the love of Christ. Our Christ-like actions will then flow from a loving heart. Sometimes, love is tough; sometimes it is gentle; all times, it is the love of Christ. So, in these tough and acrimonious times, let’s guard our hearts. Everything we do flows from it.

The Fruit of Encoragement

Acts 9:28-30 "So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they tried to kill him. When the believers learned of this, they took him down to Caeserea and sent him off to Tarsus." So Barnabas apparently convinces the believers at Jerusalem to give Saul a chance and accept him. This leads to some witnessing to Greek Jews and more plots to kill him. But, his newfound brothers and sisters come to his defense and rescue and send him back towards home to Tarsus via Caeserea. A little encouragement and advocacy sure went a long way and accomplished a lot. What could your encouragement plant the seeds of today? Let us all do our part in the furtherance of His work. Let us all be salt and light. Let us all spread His love, hope and goodness as much as we can. God is at work through us as we help and encourage each other through this journey we are all on together. Let us protect His Body, His Church under the banner of His cross, His purpose and His mission. May His grace abound in you today. In His Service, Pastor Fred

Encouragers

Acts 9:27 "Barnabas took him and brought him to the Apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus." We need encouragement. This is why we do encouragement cards regularly as part of Grace Harbor's ministry. This is why I admire and appreciate Barnabas so much. Just now I left a voicemail for a brother who is feeling down. I actually just now stopped in mid-sentence and left the message for fear I would not follow through later. The Lord bought it to my attention earlier today, then reminded me about an hour ago, then convicted me as I began this devotional. I just now heard back the update and appreciation for my encouragement from this brother as I wrap up this writing. God wants to use us all as encouragers. Maybe we could start by not being so discouraging. Encourage one another my brothers and sisters. Barnabas sets us a great example as he becomes an advocate for a misunderstood Saul. Those of you who are discouraged, reach out and encourage someone else. It will encourage you, it did me. Pastor Fred

Plans Against You

Acts 9:23-25 "After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall." Wow! Not only do we not like you changing, now we want to kill you. Not only do we want to kill you, we are actually conspiring and planning to kill you and lying in wait for an opportunity to do it. But Saul's new brothers and sisters have his back and pirate him out of Damascus. They found out that there was a plot and foiled it. We must protect each other as believers. It grieves God that we turn on each other and hurt each other. We have enemies in the world, we sure don't need them in His church. This is why we are warned not to consume one another with pettiness, bickering and naysaying. We must resist the temptations to hurt His Body. He already suffered and bled and died. Whatever it is, get over it. Forgive and move on. The early church struggled with this and we still do today. I heard it said recently that there will be no unity in our country until there is far more unity among believers. Let us pray with a broken, forgiving heart seeking forgiveness. Holy Spirit, send your peace, Pastor Fred

The Sovereignty of God

Today's devotional by Greg Laurie comes to us from council member Colleen Jilio Ryan. The Sovereignty of God By: Greg Laurie Luke's gospel tells the story of ten men with leprosy who were in need of a touch from Jesus. Leprosy was incurable. They asked Jesus for a healing, and He extended it to them. But out of the ten, only one returned to give Him thanks. We read that "One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, 'Praise God!' He fell to the ground at Jesus' feet, thanking him for what he had done . . ." (Luke 17:15). Earlier he had prayed loudly for a healing, and then he was loud with his praise. I love the fact that the original language uses two words from which get our English word "megaphone." The man was loud in thanking Jesus for what He had done for him. As Christians, we should give thanks to God because we recognize that He is in control of all circumstances surrounding our lives. As Proverbs 16:9 reminds us, "We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps." God is sovereign, which means that God is able to do what He pleases with whomever He chooses whenever He wishes. The prophet Jeremiah said, "I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course" (Jeremiah 10:23). And we read in Proverbs 20:24, "The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?" That is the sovereignty of God. But what about when bad things happen? Is God still in control? Yes. And the Bible tells us that despite the bad things that happen, which many times are inexplicable, God can work all things together for good to those that love Him (see Romans 8:28). As the psalmist wrote, "Everything serves [His] plans" (119:91).

Yet Saul Grew

Acts 9:22 "Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah." Folks can not like you for a lot of different reasons. When you change, especially a big change you can get feedback from many directions. Those who liked you before you changed don't like you changing immediately and certainly before the people who could want you to change start liking you. Point being, that when experiencing spiritual transformation there may be a time when nobody likes you very much. Yet Saul grew in power and influence at just such a time. Why? Because the truth had a hold of Him. How? God did it as he surrendered to the truth. Everybody may be astonished, but nobody may accept you yet. It can happen when we change. Just be successful or lose weight, or stop smoking or drinking or being dependent or start being more consistent or nicer or sharing your faith or helping more. The list goes on. People are downright suspicious of change. I am working on some stuff in my own life and character right now and am getting mixed reviews. Still a work in progress but really only need God to like it and let that be good enough. I am sure Saul gets that. With Hope for His Transforming Power for all of Us, Pastor Fred

Astonishing

Acts 9:21 "All those who heard him were astonished and asked, 'Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on His Name and hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?'" It is hard to change. Even if you do, people may not accept it or like it. Even if you repent and sincerely are a different person, it will not be easy. I understand that Saul, even when He gets name changed to Paul, really has a long way to go with the Jews. They feared him, loathed him and distrusted him. What about the great light and the voice that others heard? What about the witnesses to his blinding? What about Ananias's testimony? What about all the evidence that refutes our opinions of people? Humans are stubborn. We believe what we choose to believe, no matter what. I have to believe that people can be transformed. I know God can do that. But many of us don't want people or things to change. If the status quo fits our narrative, we are unable to hear or see it differently. We cannot forgive because we are empowered by what we want to believe. Regardless of the truth. I think we enjoy judging people, thereby trapping them in their status quo. Change is threatening and it ends our control. Lord please help us see each one as you see them. Even if we have to change in order to let others change. With His grace, Pastor Fred