Monday, January 18th


Trusting in the Lord


Matthew 6: 24-27


““No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:24-27‬ ‭NLT‬‬


In today’s society it’s hard for Christians to not look at what we do for a living as what keeps us going, what grounds us, what provides for us.


In all actuality God is the one who provides for us! He has given you your job, your wealth, and all your provisions.


This scripture has always stood out to me because I used to worry about where my next meal would come from. When My wife and I first got married we had a rough few years. Not that we weren’t working and trying to make ends meet. She was in nursing school, I had 4 or 5 jobs and it always seemed that God would provide at the right moment.


Every time at the end of the month we would get so stressed and start worrying about where the money would come from, so we did what every Christian would do...pray and ask for help. And in that moment we were doing what we felt was right, but we were missing the picture.


Now don’t get me wrong, God still pulled through, but it wasn’t until I re-read this scripture that I realized that as the spiritual leader in my family I was doing it all wrong.


My wife and I freaking out and doing the 911 prayer to God for help is good, but there is a better way to do it.


Just like the scripture, if the birds don’t worry about their next meal because it comes from the Heavenly Father, then why couldn’t we do the same! Everyday!


So it took us some time to make it part of our daily routine, but none the less we starting asking God to provide everyday...in the hard times and the good times. If we could have faith for God to provide during the bad times why couldn’t we do it when times weren’t tight!


God is always looking to bless you! There is even a storehouse in heaven with your name on it and inside is all of your blessings. Even the ones you have not received or asked for yet.


“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.”

‭‭John‬ ‭1:1-3‬ ‭NLT‬‬


Before the foundations of the earth were poured He created everything! Including your blessings. 


The one thing God is waiting for is for us to ask, have faith and what He has for us will be delivered!


I know that most people have frowned on the “prosperity now” movement, and that is not what I’m taking about! Trusting in God for everything, not just money, is what I’m talking about here.


When we seek God we should begin asking him for strength, wisdom, healing, provision. Standing in faith that He will provide, letting go of our own understanding and leaning on Him. Not trusting in our paycheck to pay the rent but in our Heavenly Father to provide the rent!


When my wife and I were visiting Santa Fe and we were praying and asking God for a sign to what we should do next, I looked out from where we were having our morning coffee and there was a flock of birds on the street, flying around with each other. The Lord then reminded me of the scripture from Matthew, and that we still need to trust in Him everyday. I instantly told her what was on my heart and later that day was when we decided to move to Santa Fe. Mind you we didn’t really have work lined up here, but we decided to trust in God and had faith that He was going to provide. 


Let me tell you since we have been here God has more than provided. Just like Ephesians 3:20 says


“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3:20‬ ‭NLT‬‬


We trusted in Him and He did more than we asked and even imagined for our family here.


So what is it you are asking for? What has been on your heart? Rent, new car, promotion, a job! Whatever it is, I tell you if you give it to the Lord, and trust in Him, have faith in God that He will provide. I promise you....no I’ll do you one better, the Bible promises you that God will deliver. The only thing is you have to believe with all our heart, soul and mind. Don’t take things into your own hands, let go and let God.


I can tel you from experience that every time I’ve taken the wheel of my life and tried without seeking God for help I have failed! The times that I have stopped and asked God to take control He has come through at the exact moment I have needed Him.


So today I challenge you. Give God your cares, your worries, your hopes, your fears, everything! Trust in Him, He will provide for you! 


In your prayer today add this.

“Heavenly Father I come to you today asking you to give me the strength to make it through the day, to give me supernatural wisdom, understanding and knowledge on how to make it through the situation I am in! I lay down at your feet my finances, my job, my family and ask you to take control. I let go of my problems and believe that you will provide everything I need and I ask you to help me on hard days to have faith and stand in your promises. In your name I pray, Amen!”


tuesday, january 19th


 

Here in northern New Mexico we are blessed to live at a higher elevation and closer to the wondrous sky that exists above us.  On a cold and clear winter night, the atmosphere is usually very calm and still which affords a high degree of clarity to the night sky.  If you look up and observe, your eyes acclimate to the darkness and more of the heavens are revealed minute by minute, with first bright planets and stars becoming visible, followed by more and dimmer celestial bodies until the majesty of the Milky Way galaxy (in which we live) is in full view.  

The heavens that God created are truly wondrous. In Genesis 1 we know God created the heavens and the earth and everything else, and he placed every one of those stars in the heavens!  Looking up and trying to take in the billions upon billions of stars is almost an incomprehensible thing to contemplate.  

When you put into perspective our place here and that God made each one of us too, and each of the stars we get a real picture of His full glory and authority over all things. Gen 1:31 “God looked over everything he had made, it was so good, so very good!” (The Message).  


A prayer:  Father, thank you for all that you created, the heavens and the Earth and each of us. You are the Creator and above all things. Let us remember how much you love all your creation and that we are made in your image.  In Jesus name. Amen.




WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20TH


GETTING FOUND


Every year in New Mexico we hear of someone who gets lost in our vast expansive wilderness areas.  Fortunately, most of those that find themselves struggling in such a situation get found and most of them will tell you that it is an experience that they will never forget and never want to repeat.

The experience of being lost begins with disbelief and can quickly move through several emotions: anxiety, fear, and often panic.  None of these emotions are conducive to clear rational thinking and the result is matters usually get worse. 

 

When I was lost, I spent a good deal of time reviewing all the things I should have done but did not.  I also tried walking in circles with self-blame and regret.  None of this proved to be productive.  All of us that have been lost have in hindsight realized that we had not been using the resources at our disposal to keep us from getting lost.


In the wilderness it may be a GPS unit that gets us home safely.  In life it is God’s words that keep us from the terror of being lost.  God knows where we are even when we think we are lost or even forgotten. Scripture reminds us that the Shepherd will leave the flock to find a lost lamb (Matthew 18:12). Getting found will be the best experience of your life!!

 

THURSDAY, Jan 21

     STAND UP


Nehemiah 9: 5b

Stand up and bless the Lord your God from everlasting to everlasting.  Blessed be Your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.

 

One of my favorite books of the Bible is Nehemiah. Nehemiah was a Jewish man held in exile in Babylon. He rose in the Babylonian government to be an efficient and trusted administrator to the Babylonian king, Artaxerxes. Although Nehemiah worked as a Babylonian and lived the life of a Babylonian, Nehemiah had a Jewish heart. When he heard that the walls of Jerusalem lay in ruins, he wept and prayed to the Lord to be allowed to do something about it.  On several trips back and forth from Babylon to Jerusalem involving hundreds of miles, he sent building materials, plans, organized work crews and supervised workers rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. He and his work crews, made up

from the members of Jerusalem families, rebuilt the walls in an amazing 52 days!

 

As men, we can be like Nehemiah. Either singly or working together, we are capable of taking on projects that further the kingdom of God. That is what we are called upon by God to do. We don't need many specialized tools or skills for most projects; we just need to start. We can learn on the way.  

 

Pastor Guy is calling us to be bolder and more confident in our walk with God. To take a stand and adopt projects in the darkness of these days to further God's kingdom here on earth. To take a stand for our Jesus. Nehemiah was no high priest in the Jewish faith. He was no prophet.  He was no Sadducee or Pharisee. He did not have special skills in construction. Nehemiah was an ordinary man who saw the need and opportunity to serve God. 

 

Today, in our lives, we can use the example of Nehemiah's life to look for ways to love and glorify Jesus and move His kingdom forward.  And as men, we should.

 

friday, january 21st


 

When your eyes first opened today, what were your first thoughts?  Oh God, what’s going to happen today? Or, Thank you God for this day!  This is the day You have made—I will rejoice and be glad in it!  We all know that we have the power of life and death in our tongues…Proverbs 18:21 “The tongue has the power of life and death!”-NKJ, but what about the tongue of that voice in our heads—our self-talk?

 

We have a choice every day of our lives to wake up and start the day on a positive note—it sets the tone for the rest of the day.  Do you know who you really are?  More importantly, do you know who God says you are?  He says “The Lord will make you the head, not the tail!” (Deuteronomy 28:13), and “you will be above only and not beneath!” Finally, as we contemplate what Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”, we have the backing and support of our heavenly father to go forth and conquer!

 

“Be strong and courageous!  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord you God will be with you wherever you go!”-Joshua 1:8-9

 

SATURDAY, JaNUARY 23

Grinning Face  from a dear and concerned brother:


To my dear brothers, those who are married, those who have been married, and those who have not married. For those who are married there are lots of pluses, and a few minuses. God does not want us to be unevenly yoked. Having a wife who loves the Lord is a fantastic treasure!


In Ephesians 5:22-25, Paul says, “Wives, subject yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.”

That’s a tall order for us guys to accomplish. When the wife comes to you and you’re in the middle of a project and trying to finish it, and she says “Honey I need your help now”, one of those “gifts” called “patience”, you’d better get a hold of.  

I heard a pastor say one time, “If the wife is a nagging, the old man’s feet must be a dragin’!” So get with it guys!

We need to cherish her, praise her, encourage her, and be SLOW to speak and very quick to listen. We don’t need to solve their problems.  Shut up, And LOVE the lady.