Weekly Devotional – 4/19/10
Posted: Apr 19, 2010 at 7:07 AM in Weekly Devotional
Good morning,
Have you ever been out and about and you hear a phrase that you haven’t heard in awhile? I was working at Harry Chapin last Saturday and someone used the phrase “will nilly” – meaning unpredictable, or in this case, when the Harry Chapin employee opened the box to see if we put the right food in – it wasn’t always right – it was hodge-podge (that’s another phrase).
Yesterday, I heard a couple talking to each other and the husband said to the wife “you are just being fickle” – I haven’t heard that one in awhile either.
After I heard the tone of the conversation of that couple, I decided to do a little pastoral ease dropping (you do it too). As the conversation continued, why she was fickle unfolded.
Both of them had committed to helping some friends move into their new condo from somewhere up north and said they would wait till the end of the month. Well, the wife no longer wanted to wait and not because she wanted to get back up north but because – her feelings were hurt.
She wanted to change her commitment based on her feelings so he called her fickle. (it’s amazing what you can learn from pastoral ease dropping). He said what happened was nothing and she wouldn’t even remember it tomorrow. He also reminded her how good of friends they were and how long they had been friends.
Well, I looked up some of these terms from the last few days and when I looked up fickle in Webster’s Dictionary “fickle” is defined as “Not fixed or firm; liable to change; unstable.”
Your emotions and how you feel are unstable and liable to change. So, if you follow your feelings, then your life, your choices, and your actions will sway like a small tree in strong wind.
For example, there will probably be some days when you don’t feel like being nice to your spouse. If you follow your feelings and act impulsively, then your marriage will have problems. Because feelings are unstable and unpredictable, someone who lives based on their feelings will also be unstable and unpredictable.
James 1:8 says that someone who follows his feelings “is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.”
Instead of following our feelings, we need to follow God’s Word, He never changes – His Words never sway. We need to take the same attitude as an old hymn, which says, “On Christ the solid Rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand.”
In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus says, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
That “rock” is God’s Word. If we want to live solid, stable lives, they must be built on the rock—God, himself. Therefore, don’t follow fickle feelings; follow God.
Have a great week!
Your servant,
Pastor Grant
Prayer requests:
1. Continue to pray for Scott Cray’s sister in law Carol Johnson – she has stage 4 cancer. The doctors after Monday’s scan said she needs a miracle – there’s nothing they can do
2. Continue to pray for Sherri Hynden as she recovers from surgery at home.
Weekly Devotional – 4/12/2010
Posted: Apr 12, 2010 at 7:07 AM in Weekly Devotional
Good morning,
Have you ever weighed yourself? Ever measured yourself? (measured as in trying on 2 different sized pair of pants to see if you put on weight? Why do we do that? It is wise to measure and evaluate the indicators that lead to a healthy body in order to change what we have or haven’t been doing to become better. The Word is very clear on doing this same evaluation for the spirit man as well.
Lamentations 3:40 NRSV
Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord.
2 Corinthians 13:5 NRSV
Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?- unless, indeed, you fail to meet the test!
Galatians 6:4 NRSV
All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor’s work, will become a cause for pride.
Psalm 139:23 NRSV
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Socrates once said “An unexamined life is not worth living.” The Word says the unexamined life is not biblical. An unexamined life is a life that is not being lived to its fullest potential, to the potential God intends for our life to be. It is a life not being lived out in abundance.
Jesus said in John 10:10 NRSV
” The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
So, what does the bible mean by saying measure yourself or examine yourself? Just like you step on the scale once a week or once a month to evaluate one indicator of your physical health we also need to look at our eating habits – You know the computer acronym, GIGO, “Garbage In, Garbage Out”, it applies to our bodies. “Am I getting regular exercise? Am I sleeping enough? Am I always worn down?”
We should take even more time to measure the progress we are making in becoming more like Christ.
Here are some good starting points for spiritual measurement. Ask yourself at least monthly, “Am I growing in Christ? Is my love for the Bible increasing? Is my love for Christ increasing? Is my love for people increasing? Is my heart growing bigger for the Cause of Christ? Are my prayers more frequent and more heartfelt? Am I taking every opportunity to mature in Christ? How was my church attendance, my Bible study attendance, my small group attendance last month?”
You may also need to get a measurement from someone you trust, ask them “how am I handling the stresses in my life? How am I reacting to irritations. How am I handling the relationships in my life? Are my relationships with others becoming deeper and more meaningful or am I pushing people aside? Am I running so fast and so hard that emotionally I am numb or dead to the feelings I have and others have? Am I becoming more loving? More Christlike?”
I have heard people say, “at this point in my walk with God – I got the routine down. I love God, I love people, I know my Bible, I am going to coast on to the end from here – no examination or changes needed.”
My reply to them is “You know if you are coasting, you have to be going downhill.” You can’t coast and grow. I don’t want to get to the end and stand before God a stressed out, burnt up, kicked around, shriveled-up heart, Christ-follower and say.. “Well God, I coasted on to heaven.” No, I want to stand before our Holy God with a great big grown heart, with a great big love for Christ and a great big love for people and I so much want to hear him say, “Well done My good and faithful servant, enter the Kingdom.”
So, are you coasting or growing? – it’s time to take out the spiritual measuring tape and scale and brace yourself – it’s time to start exercising again.
Have a great week!
Your Servant,
Pastor Grant
Being in the spirit Week #3 “Speaking in Tongues and Being refilled”
Posted: Apr 7, 2010 at 10:22 PM in Wednesday Bible Study
The Initial Evidence of the Baptism with the Holy Spirit:
Speaking in Tongues & Being Refilled
Pastor Grant Williams April 7, 2010 week #3 Being in the Spirit
Acts 1:4-5 KJV
4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
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Acts 2:1-4 KJV
1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2:1-4 AMP
1 AND WHEN the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all assembled together in one place,
2 When suddenly there came a sound from heaven like the rushing of a violent tempest blast, and it filled the whole house in which they were sitting.
3 And there appeared to them tongues resembling fire, which were separated and distributed and which settled on each one of them.
4 And they were all filled (diffused throughout their souls) with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other (different, foreign) languages (tongues), as the Spirit [kept giving them clear and loud expression [in each tongue in appropriate words]
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1 Kings 19:11 KJV
11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind:
and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
How did Elijah discern the Lord?
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Acts 10:44-46 KJV
44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. (the message)
45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God.
Acts 19:6 KJV
6And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
Should I be filled with the holy spirit again?
Acts 2:4 KJV
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 4:31 KJV
31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
Ephesians 5:18 AMP
18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit.
19 Speak out to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, offering praise with voices [and instruments] and making melody with all your heart to the Lord,
20 At all times and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.
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Note: Read the the entire chapter of Acts 4
Acts 4:24, 29-31 KJV
24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice (Prayer) to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them…
29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness
How did the refilling come?
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As a result of being refilled what 3 things happened?
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What can we do to stay continuously filled with the Spirit?
John 7:37-39 KJV
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 But this spake he of the Spirit.