Wake Up Praising God

Wake Up Praising God

 

Do you sometimes wake up in the morning with negative thoughts; negative thoughts about a bad experience, or someone who mistreated you, or a problem you have?  

 

I believe that often times these thoughts are being placed in our heads by the enemy, trying to get our day started with a sour and defeated attitude.  

 

I have a technique that I use to overcome these negative influences.  

 

When I wake up with these negative thoughts, before I get out of bed, I try first to remember the words Jesus used in Matthew 16:23, when Peter comments about Jesus upcoming suffering and death.  Jesus said, "get behind me satan."  Or the words Jesus used when tempted in the wilderness, He tells the devil "away with you satan". This shows we recognize the deception and in Jesus' name we are sending it away.

 

Second, In my mind I recite the common doxology,  

Praise God from whom all blessings flow

Praise him all creatures here below

Praise him above ye heavenly hosts

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

 

Alternatively, I remember David's words in Psalm 118:24 "this is the day that The Lord Has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it."

 

Finally I say a quick prayer, thank God for a new day, and ask for his guidance.

 

If you experience this negative ambush in the morning, give these techniques a try.

 

Dear Lord, protect us from the undermining influence of the devil, and help us live our lives as positive, cheerful, advocates for you.  In Jesus' name we pray.  Amen.

 

Why Pray? by Stephen Davey

Why Pray?

Psalm 86:6-7

Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; and give heed to the voice of my supplications! In the day of my trouble I shall call upon You, for You will answer me.

R. A. Torrey, a former president of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, once wrote ten powerful reasons why believers should pray:

In other words, the question should not be why should we pray, but how can we afford not to pray?

Just look at that list! It is not exhaustive, by the way. All one needs to do is look into a few of the Psalms to find that prayer should be the most vital part of a believer's life. Just as a wife cannot have a good relationship with her husband without speaking, so also a believer cannot have a good relationship with God if there is no communication. Prayer is how we talk to God, and His Word is how He speaks to us.

It baffles me how shallow our view of prayer has become in the church today. Think about our own perspective: when there is a crisis with a family member—a child is rushed to ICU; your father has a heart attack; your sibling is experiencing depression—what is the first thing that believers often say in these circumstances? "Well, I guess all I can do now is pray."

I can't tell you how many times I've heard that in these past few years; I've said it myself.  I don't know where this "last-resort" idea comes from, but it is terribly wrong.

Prayer isn't the last thing—it's the best thing that you and I could ever do for anyone.

He's listening . . . are you praying?

Prayer Point: 1 Peter 5 says to "cast our anxiety upon the Lord, for He cares for us." Thank God for never turning a deaf ear to your call to Him, and for always listening to your supplication.

Extra Refreshment: John 17—the prayer of Jesus.

It Is Well - Streams in the Desert - December 3

Is it well with thy husband? Is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well (2 Kings 4:26).

Be strong, my soul!
Thy loved ones go
Within the veil.
God's thine, e'en so;
Be strong.
Be strong, my soul!
Death looms in view.
Lo, here thy God!
He'll bear thee through;
Be strong.

For sixty-two years and five months I had a beloved wife, and now, in my ninety-second year I am left alone. But I turn to the ever present Jesus, as I walk up and down in my room, and say, "Lord Jesus, I am alone, and yet not alone--Thou art with me, Thou art my Friend. Now, Lord, comfort me, strengthen me, give to Thy poor servant everything Thou seest he needs."

And we should not be satisfied till we are brought to this, that we know the Lord Jesus Christ experimentally, habitually to be our Friend: at all times, and under all circumstances, ready to prove Himself to be our Friend.
--George Mueller

Afflictions cannot injure when blended with submission.

Ice breaks many a branch, and so I see a great many persons bowed down and crushed by their afflictions. But now and then I meet one that sings in affliction, and then I thank God for my own sake as well as his. There is no such sweet singing as a song in the night. You recollect the story of the woman who, when her only child died, in rapture looking up, as with the face of an angel, said, "I give you joy, my darling." That single sentence has gone with me years and years down through my life, quickening and comforting me.
--Henry Ward Beecher

E'en for the dead I will not bind my soul to grief;
Death cannot long divide.
For is it not as though the rose that climbed my garden wall
Has blossomed on the other, side?
Death doth hide,
But not divide;
Thou art but on Christ's other side!
Thou art with Christ, and Christ with me;
In Christ united still are we.

For Them, In Them, By Them by Alistair Begg

For Them, In Them, By Them

The Lord, mighty in battle!
Psalm 24:8

God is glorious in the eyes of His people, since He has worked such wonders for them, in them, and by them. For them, the Lord Jesus upon Calvary defeated every foe, breaking all the weapons of the enemy in pieces by His finished work of satisfactory obedience; by His triumphant resurrection and ascension He completely overturned the hopes of hell, leading captivity captive, making a show of our enemies openly, triumphing over them by His cross. Every arrow of guilt that Satan might have shot at us is broken, for who can lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Vain are the sharp swords of infernal malice and the perpetual battles of the serpent's seed, for among God's people the lame take the prey, and the feeblest warriors are crowned.

Believers will also worship the Lord Jesus for His conquests in them, since the arrows of their natural hatred are snapped, and the weapons of their rebellion are broken. What victories grace has won in our evil hearts! How glorious is Jesus when the will is subdued and sin dethroned! As for our remaining corruptions, they will sustain an equally sure defeat, and every temptation and doubt and fear will be completely destroyed. In the sanctuary of our peaceful hearts, the name of Jesus is great beyond compare: He has won our love, and He shall wear it. In equal measure we may look for victories by us.

We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. We will cast down the powers of darkness that are in the world by our faith and zeal and holiness; we will win sinners to Jesus; we will overturn false systems; we will convert nations. For God is with us, and none shall stand against us. This evening let the Christian warrior sing the war song and prepare for tomorrow's fight. Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world.

The Everlasting Light by David Jeremiah

The Everlasting Light    Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was? John 7:42    Bethlehem is mentioned more than 35 times in the Old Testament. It was the birthplace of David and became known as the City of David. It’s also the birthplace of the Son of David, Jesus. Through Bethlehem flows the lineage and descent of the Savior, as the prophet Micah predicted: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2).

Recommended Reading: Micah 5:1-4

When Jesus was born, there were three major continents known to scholars—Europe, Asia, and Africa. Asia was chosen, but Asia has many countries. Micah selected one country, Israel, with three districts—Judea, Galilee, and Samaria. Judea was chosen, but Judea had thousands of villages. Yet seven hundred years before Christ, Micah pinpointed the very town of His birth—Bethlehem. This is one of more than three hundred predictions about Christ from the Old Testament. If you ever harbor nagging doubts about the truthfulness of Christianity, spend some time in the Old Testament and look at what it says about Jesus.

Christ's Deity Defended by John MacArthur

Christ's Deity Defended

“[Christ] existed in the form of God” (Philippians 2:6). Scripture makes clear that Christ is God. The deity of Christ is the heart of the Christian faith. Inevitably when people attack the Christian faith, they attack the deity of Christ. Scripture makes clear, however, that such attacks are unfounded. The apostle John said, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he began his Gospel by affirming the deity of Christ. John further declared Christ’s deity when he wrote, “All things came into being through [Christ], and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men” (vv. 3-4). In John 8:58 Jesus said, “Before Abraham was born, I AM.” Jesus appropriated to Himself the name of God, who said, “I AM WHO I AM” (Ex. 3:14). In Colossians 1:15-17 the apostle Paul wrote of Christ’s deity: “He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” Christ is God, the Creator. The writer of Hebrews says, “[Christ] is the radiance of [God’s] glory and the exact representation of His nature” (1:3). Christianity begins with the recognition that Jesus Christ is in essence the eternal God. Whenever someone confronts you by attacking the deity of Christ, be sure to defend the faith, “holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching” (Titus 1:9). Suggestions for Prayer At the core of defending God’s Word is an accurate interpretation of Scripture. Ask Him to help you interpret His Word accurately (see 2 Tim. 2:15). For Further Study John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word,” which undoubtedly reminded John’s readers of Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” What do the following verses demonstrate about Christ: 1 Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 3:19; Hebrews 1:1-2? From Strength for Today by John MacArthur Copyright © 1997. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com.

Thanks for Being You! / Our Daily Bread

Thanks for Being You!

Xochitl Dixon

Enter his gates with thanksgiving. Psalm 100:4

Psalm 100

When I served as my mom’s live-in caregiver at a cancer center, I got to know Lori, another caregiver who lived down the hallway from us with her husband, Frank. I would chat, laugh, vent, cry, and pray with Lori in the shared living areas. We enjoyed supporting each other as we cared for our loved ones.

One day, I missed the free shuttle that took residents to buy groceries. Lori offered to drive me to the store later that evening. With grateful tears, I accepted her offer. “Thanks for being you,” I said. I truly appreciated her for who she was as a person, not just for what she did for me as a friend.

Psalm 100 demonstrates an appreciation of God for who He is, not simply for all He does. The psalmist invites “all the earth” (v. 1) to “worship the Lord with gladness” (v. 2), being confident in knowing “the Lord is God” (v. 3). Our Maker invites us into His presence to “give thanks to him and praise his name” (v. 4). Yes, the Lord remains worthy of our ongoing thankfulness because He “is good,” His “love endures forever,” and His “faithfulness continues through all generations” (v. 5).

God will always be the Creator and Sustainer of the universe and our intimately loving Father. He deserves our genuine joy-filled gratitude.

Lord, thanks for being You!

Who can you share God’s love with today?

Christian Perfection by Oswald Chambers

Christian Perfection Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect…  PHILIPPIANS 3:12 It is a snare to imagine that God wants to make us perfect specimens of what He can do; God’s purpose is to make us one with Himself. The emphasis of holiness movements is apt to be that God is producing specimens of holiness to put in His museum. If you go off on this idea of personal holiness, the dead-set of your life will not be for God, but for what you call the manifestation of God in your life. “It can never be God’s will that I should be sick,” you say. If it was God’s will to bruise His own Son, why should He not bruise you? The thing that tells for God is not your relevant consistency to an idea of what a saint should be, but your real vital relation to Jesus Christ, and your abandonment to Him whether you are well or ill. Christian perfection is not, and never can be, human perfection. Christian perfection is the perfection of a relationship to God which shows itself amid the irrelevancies of human life. When you obey the call of Jesus Christ, the first thing that strikes you is the irrelevancy of the things you have to do, and the next thing that strikes you is the fact that other people seem to be living perfectly consistent lives. Such lives are apt to leave you with the idea that God is unnecessary, by human effort and devotion we can reach the standard God wants. In a fallen world this can never be done. I am called to live in perfect relation to God so that my life produces a longing after God in other lives, not admiration for myself. Thoughts about myself hinder my usefulness to God. God is not after perfecting me to be a specimen in His show-room; He is getting me to the place where He can use me. Let Him do what He likes. From My Utmost for His Highest Classic Edition

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS Jesus Christ can afford to be misunderstood; we cannot. Our weakness lies in always wanting to vindicate ourselves. from The Place of Help

Freedom From Deception by Charles Stanley

Galatians 5:1-13

Have you ever believed a lie and then later discovered the truth? If so, you know how damaging deception is. It can ruin friendships, destroy reputations, and leave a trail of painful, lingering consequences. The damage is particularly horrendous when the deception is spiritual, because it can mean the difference between going to heaven or hell. 

It would be nice to think that once we’re saved, we could never again be spiritually deceived, but that’s not the case. Satan is always looking for ways to lead us astray so he can ruin our testimony and hinder our spiritual growth. That’s why it’s so important for Christians to be discerning—and this ability will be developed in us only as we grow in our knowledge of scriptural truth. 

The apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Galatia because they were quickly deserting Christ for a different gospel (Gal. 1:6-7). Someone had come into the church and distorted the gospel of grace, telling them they needed to be circumcised and obey the Law in order to be saved (Gal. 5:3-4).

Although this may not be the issue today, the belief that any kind of good work or performance can earn God’s acceptance is still being falsely promoted in certain Christian circles. At the other extreme are those who say it doesn’t matter what we believe or do because everyone is going to heaven. They wrongly conclude that a loving God would never punish anyone. 

Jesus clearly warned that deception would increase as time progressed (Matt. 24:4-5). Now is the time to study God’s Word, because knowing truth is our only protection against being led astray by misinformation.

Jesus: Our Great High Priest by John MacArthur

Jesus: Our Great High Priest

"The point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens" (Heb. 8:1). Since Jesus serves as our High Priest, we have access to God. Access to God was always a problem for the Jewish people. Exodus 33:20 declares that no man can see God and live. Once each year, on the great Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), the Jewish high priest entered into the Holy of Holies, where God's presence dwelt in a unique sense, to approach God on behalf of the people. God's covenant with Israel was the basis for their communion with Him. And the sacrificial system that accompanied the Old Covenant gave the people an outward act to represent their inner repentance. But their sacrifices were incessant because their sin was incessant. They needed a perfect priest and sacrifice to provide access to God permanently. That's exactly what Jesus was and did. Hebrews 10 says that Jesus offered His body as a sacrifice for mankind's sins once for all, then sat down at the right hand of the Father (vv. 10, 12). That was a revolutionary concept to Jewish thinking. A priest on duty could never sit down because his work was never done. But Jesus introduced a new and wonderful element into the sacrificial system: one sacrifice, offered once, sufficient for all time. That was the basis of the New Covenant. Our Lord's priesthood is permanent and perpetual: "Because He abides forever, [He] holds His priesthood permanently. Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them" (Heb. 7:24-25). That's the central message of the book of Hebrews. It wasn't easy for the Jewish people to accept the need for a new covenant. Most rejected Christ outright. Similarly, many people today reject His priesthood, supposing they can gain access to God on their own terms. But they're tragically mistaken. Jesus Himself said, "No one comes to the Father, but through Me" (John 14:6). Suggestion for Prayer Praise God for receiving you into His presence through His Son, Jesus Christ. For Further Study Read Hebrews 10:19-25, noting how God wants you to respond to Christ's priesthood. From Drawing Near by John MacArthur Copyright © 1993. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com.

Draw Near / GAIN THROUGH GIVING

GAIN THROUGH GIVING

Sundar Singh was once traveling with a Tibetan companion on a bitterly cold day. The men were miles from shelter and almost frozen to death. They reached a steep precipice and saw a poor half-dead man who had fallen over the edge. Sundar wanted to stop and save the man; but his companion, saying it was all they could do to save themselves, left Sundar behind. After much difficulty, Sundar was able to get the man from the slope onto his back. Before long, Sundar came upon the Tibetan companion who was frozen to death. On he struggled and, gradually, the dying man on his back received warmth from his rescuer's body and began to revive. Sundar himself was also saved from an icy death because he grew warm through the effort to save the dying man.

Christ commissioned the Twelve and sent them on a mission of self-denial. He told them to lose their lives for others and trust God for their own safety and needs. He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff--no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts--but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics (Mark 6:8-9). They even had to depend on others for their shelter. This first "missions" trip was to teach Christ's followers self-denial and the provision of God.

Christianity involves giving of self to others. It demands a selfless service regardless of the consequences. We must lose our lives to find them. Paul told us: Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others (Philippians 2:4). And, again: Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2). In helping others, we help ourselves.

“And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭6:7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Are You Weak Enough? by Adrian Rogers

Are You Weak Enough?

“And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Have you ever felt too weak to win the battle? Friend, you may not be weak enough. God identifies Himself with our obedient weakness. It is when we stop trying and start trusting that God’s power can be manifest. You see, your weakness is not a liability; your weakness is an asset. The battle is not yours; it is the Lord’s! 

If only we could learn that God does not need our strength. God calls for our obedience! God has the strength. And He wants to give you that supernatural strength in place of your own. It is not your ability; it is your availability. It is not your fame; it is your faith. It is not who you are; it is Whose you are!

Scroll of Remembrance

Scroll of Remembrance

 

We know that we are saved by the grace of God, nothing we do or have done saves us.  It is purely a gift. 

 

In addition however, God is always watching us and everything we do is recorded.   Proverbs 15:3 says, "The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good."

 

And Malachi the prophet wrote that God keeps a "Scroll of Remembrance,"  tracking when we honor him.  He will treat those that honor him differently.   Malachi 4:16-18 says,  "Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name.  “They will be my people,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “On the day when I act in judgment, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child. Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”

 

Dear Lord, you provide us all we have, most importantly our salvation.  We should honor and put you first in our hearts and minds always, but we do not.  Give us strength to avoid the temptation to neglect our focus on you.  In Jesus' name we pray.  Amen.

 

December 2 / Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman

Perfect through suffering (Hebrews 2:10).

Steel is iron plus fire. Soil is rock, plus heat, or glacier crushing. Linen is flax plus the bath that cleans, the comb that separates, and the flail that pounds, and the shuttle that weaves. Human character must have a plus attached to it. The world does not forget great characters. But great characters are not made of luxuries, they are made by suffering.

I heard of a mother who brought into her home as a companion to her own son, a crippled boy who was also a hunchback. She had warned her boy to be very careful in his relations to him, and not to touch the sensitive part of his life but go right on playing with him as if he were an ordinary boy. She listened to her son as they were playing; and after a few minutes he said to his companion: "Do you know what you have got on your back?" The little hunchback was embarrassed, and he hesitated a moment. The boy said: "It is the box in which your wings are; and some day God is going to cut it open, and then you will fly away and be an angel."

Some day, God is going to reveal the fact to every Christian, that the very principles they now rebel against, have been the instruments which He used in perfecting their characters and moulding them into perfection, polished stones for His great building yonder.
--Cortland Myers

Suffering is a wonderful fertilizer to the roots of character. The great object of this life is character. This is the only thing we can carry with us into eternity... To gain the most of it and the best of it is the object of probation.
--Austin Phelps

"By the thorn road and no other is the mount of vision won."