Mid week encouragement

Somebody needs to read this. Been reading Sticks and Stones by Micah Davidson the Pastor of Real Life and I wanted share this passage.

“Everyone needs a friend— Someone who says, ‘I am here and not going anywhere.’ Someone who doesn’t just promise but proves: ‘I will be by your side no matter what you do and no matter what happens.’

By the way, God offers all of these; you have his undivided attention all day. He bends down to listen to your prayers, He goes before you and behind you, and He is with you. He will never leave you or forsake you.

God is the best source of your affirmation, the Bible is filled with encouragement. Jesus tells us to be strong and courageous and not to be afraid.

God is a friend that sticks closer than any other friend. Think about it, who really does love you and who will never reject you, leave you or forsake you? God has proven his love by the cross and promised his presence no matter what we face or go through.”

Consider

Consider

Our futures are uncertain.  But like the old hymn says 

“Because He lives 

I can face tomorrow 

Because He lives all fear is gone

Because I know he holds the future 

My life is worth the living just because He lives”

I’ve been reading out of several books in the Bible lately and one of them has been Ecclesiastes.  Not a book you will hear a lot of preachers preach from.   But I found this in there and I think it bears a closer look.  

Ecclesiastes 7:13-14

“Consider what God has done.”

  Now before I go on with this blog those words should wake you up and make you pay a little more attention.   Like they said a few years back in the Nova comics.  “Richard Rider it is critical that you pay attention at this time.”  “May I have your attention please!”  

Carry on then with your reading.  

“Consider what God has done:

Who can straighten what he has made crooked?

When times are good, be happy;

But when times are bad, consider:

God has made the one as well as the other.  

Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.”

When times are good be happy, as a human I have a hard time with those instructions I tend to create problems where there are none.  I need to work on this.  But the more you read this you see we can’t change the future or discover anything about it.  That brings me to the next passage I want you to look at.  

So you and I we can’t control the future and worry won’t fix it.  So you may ask what can we do?  Good glad you’re paying attention!  

Psalm 5:1-3 

“Give ear to my words O Lord, consider my sighing.  Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.  In the morning, O Lord you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.”

Because we don’t know what the future holds we seek and trust God who can already see into our future.  He’s non linear.  He’s seen our past, present and future and he’s in control.  

Disclaimer: I had this whole blog typed up on Monday and Wednesday I got to see some of the most chaotic events happen at my work.  It was a lesson in trusting God I had to personally live out after reading these verses.  I have said often this blog is real it's honest, it's brutal and it's life.  It's what I Zac learn from God and share with others.  The reader can take what is posted and read it and react how they will.  I don't always get things right.  I'm human and I make mistakes.  I hope more than anything you learn God holds the future and he can be trusted.  It's been a crazy rough week and sometimes God shows you things in his word to prepare you for a bumpy ride.  I don't know what you're going through personally but Fix your eyes on God and read his word you're going to need it.

Because he lives by Kristin Chenoweth 

God is in control by Avalon

It is well by Bethel

In your hands by Unspoken 

The In Betweens by Geoff Moore and the Distance 

Alpha and Omega by Gaither Vocal Band

Praying man by Petra

Favor

Favor 

Sometimes we need a goal.  I’m not one of those people who sets goals 5 -10 years into the future.  

Some are.  One long term goal I have though is to have my life be pleasing to God.  It should be the goal of any Christian.  We owe our very existence to God and Jesus died to save us from our sins.  

Psalm 115:1

“Not to us, O, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory because of your love and faithfulness.”

We live in a fallen and sinful world.  I was reading Genesis 6 and part of this could describe the world you and I live in.  

Genesis 6:5-8 

“The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.  The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth and his heart was filled with pain.  So the Lord said, ‘I will wipe mankind whom I have created from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.’  But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”  

We live in a world where sin and the option to sin is everywhere.  Don’t give in to it!  We need to be like Noah Because he found favor in the eyes of the Lord.  I often pray asking God to make me the man he wants me to be not who I want to be.  

“All that I have

All that I am

I owe to thee 

O Calvary’s lamb.”

Psalm 51:10 

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”  

Romans 12:1-2

“Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as Living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  

Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.  Jacob was another example by the way he exited life.  Look at how he ended it he went out of this world as his last act worshiping God.  This should be our goal.  

Hebrews 11:21

“By faith, Jacob when he was dying, Blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on top of his staff.”   

“Oh how I long to see the hour

When I would hear that trumpet sound

So I could rise and see my Savior’s face

And see him smile and say ‘Well done’

You can forget my name and the songs I’ve sung

Every rhyme and every tune

But remember the truth of Jesus’ love

When all is said and done.”

Dare to be different by DeGarmo and Key

Soldiers of the cross by DeGarmo and Key

God Pleaser by Petra 

When all is said and done by Geoff Moore and the Distance 

Not to us O Lord by the Imperials

O Calvary’s lamb by Sandi Patty 

For the Love of God by Kenny Rogers 

Spur and equip

Spur and equip

Years ago this blog started as a small group meeting at Denny’s at midnight for people who worked overnight because even on their nights off those employees would be up.  As an overnight employee I often felt there should be some options for us at night.  Church on Sunday morning was hard to go to because you just wanted to sleep during the day.  Over time no one signed up and this became an online blog.  The emphasis of the blog has always been to give the reader hope found in God’s Word.  I’ve been a person who often prays for hope so it somewhat qualifies me to share it.  I don’t want it to be about me though I want what is said and shared first and foremost to glorify God.  As Christians we are called to encourage.  I do so with written words.  Some do so verbally.  

Hebrews 10:24-25 

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another— and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”  

In Rambo First Blood part 2 John Rambo is about to jump from the plane to start his reconnaissance mission.  He’s checking his gear and getting ready.  The above verses describe us spurring one another on and encouraging.  Consider me in the plane with you encouraging you to fix your eyes on God.  We live in a battlefield of life.  Things are going to go haywire and sideways.  Like Rambo we may get our gear caught up in the plane and have to cut it loose (airplane scene) but we have to keep our focus in the right place.  That brings me to my next word for you and that is equip.  

I read these two verses about three days ago and I keep finding myself reading them over and over.  At one point I sat in my office at home and read them from 4 different Bible translations.  I’ve never done that in my life till this week.  One translation called it the benediction.  What’s a benediction?  Yeah I’ve heard the term in church but what does it mean and how does it apply to me and you.  Benediction: the utterance or bestowing of a blessing at the end of a religious service.  In pro wrestling terms in regards to a promo for building up excitement towards a match they would call a benediction the “go home line.”  You close the speech you get people excited.  Essentially a drill sergeant getting you all riled up.  Don’t lose your focus.  And I don’t mean a Ford Focus!  These verses I’m about to show you remind us who we serve, why we serve him, how we are equipped and what we are to be doing.  It’s our battle plans.  

Hebrews 13:20-21 

“May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever.  Amen.”  

Stand up by Petra

Mine field by Petra

Armed and dangerous by DeGarmo and Key

We believe by Steve Green 

Until the whole world hears by Casting Crowns 

We believe by Newsboys 

Upon this rock by Sandi Patty 

Strong tower by Newsboys 

The Restore button

The Restore button  Most of us at some point have worked with Microsoft word to type something.  There’s a feature in the program that restores.  It’s called undo ctrl z on your keyboard.  For example if you type something and delete it, undo will restore and bring it back.  We as Christians have a different kind of feature.  I often pray this scripture before bed because I will be so stressed out from the day.  Lately my weeks have been crazier.  I’m not going to overload you but I looked to something for encouragement and maybe you need it as much as I do.  These verses you have probably read and quoted thousands of times but like me you need to pause and let it sink in.   Psalm 23:1-3 “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not be in want.   He makes me lie down in green pastures  He leads me beside quiet waters He restores my soul  He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Seek God because he’s big enough to handle your problems, listen to them, guide you and restore your soul.   I mention often that a song will come to mind when working on a blog.  I doubt a lot of people have heard this song because when I discovered the artist I just stumbled on the cd at Half Price Books a few years back but this one line was stuck in my head as I worked on this.  Last week the blog was a lot about what are you seeking.  When your soul needs to be restored where do you go.  I want you to look at the words to Made to Love You by Misty Edwards  “You have been so kind So, gentle time after time Of all the years that I’ve come  You’re still the one to whom I’ve run When everything changes  You remain the same When all around, the world is shaken  You remain.” That one line “you’re still the one to whom I’ve run.”  God still provides, he still cares and he still listens no matter your problem.  He can restore your soul if you seek him.  He loves us and should always be the one to whom we run.   Made to love you by Misty Edwards  Searched for a long time for a video of this song but all i could find was a woman doing sign language while it was playing.  My wife knows sign language so I don't mind.   What a friend by Kathryn Scott Shepherd of my heart by Sandi Patti