Lindsey

Walk into any bookstore and you are likely to find a “self-help” section in the Christianity aisle. The plethora of books available today to match any personal need is enough to make one’s head spin.

There are books written by men, women, couples, doctors, pastors and teachers of various backgrounds of faith. You can find books about parenting, marriage, faith, depression, success and yes, even topics of opposition to the Christian faith.

Many people do not believe the bible to be enough. I would say those people need to go back and read it. The Bible is chalked full of the only truth and wisdom needed to function in this crazy world. If you are left unfulfilled after reading the bible, consider a different approach. The magical “open my bible to any page and read” approach or the “one verse a day” method, should be revised. Read the bible with purpose. Pick a book of the bible and read through it and study it for 30 days. Another option that really pounds the Scripture in is one John MacArthur suggests. For the New Testament, pick a short book of the bible and read it all the way through every day for 30 days. For longer books, divide is you’re reading no more than 7 chapters or so and read those chapters every day for a month. Then do the same thing for the next 7 or so chapters of that same book. There are many options for how you can go about making your bible reading worthwhile. Make your bible reading time a priority and do it at the same time every day and build the habit of getting into His Word. Eventually, you will feel unfulfilled if you miss a reading.

Often when I read the bible I may not fully understand the text. This leads me to reach for a commentary or a bible companion type book to further expound upon the original text from Scripture. There are many resources out there to increase our understanding of God’s Word, but it is imperative to pick from those written by scholarly sources, men or women who write with deep spiritual bible believing conviction.

You see, the danger in self-help books in and of themselves, is the ease in reading them. Many books out there are “light” reads. They do not dig deep, they motivate you to think positive and help you feel as though you can conquer the world with a smile. Scripture warns us about adding to and taking away from His words:

Proverbs 30:5-6, “Every word of God proves true; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you and you be found a liar.”

Deuteronomy 4:2, “You shall not add to the word that I command you, or take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.”

Revelation 22:18-19, “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”

He also warns us to watch out for false prophets, those who look appealing in the light but are filled with darkness.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Matthew 7:15

Self-help books may not blatantly take from or add to scripture, sometimes subtleties are the most dangerous and less obvious. But I tell you this believer, if a book is not overtly reaffirming the hope we have through Jesus Christ, then they are a real danger. True outside sources of biblical depth, will fill you with questions, convictions and ALWAYS point you back to scripture. If you read a book that does not do this, burn it.

If you are using outside books alone to be your source of spiritual fulfillment, I would encourage you to set those aside and create a meaningful bible reading plan for yourself before adding back in extra reads. Or read them in the evenings to reaffirm the truth of God’s Holy Word. I am an avid reader and on the regular, I read books that encompass all genres. My personal preference in recent years leans towards foundational faith books, written by pastors who I highly regard as scholarly men of faith. My overall goal when I read is to be challenged, convicted and deeply drawn back to the word so I can grow and flourish from what Jesus is already leading me to learn from the ultimate source of self-help, the Bible.

Other authors/resources to check out:
John MacArthur – gty.org
Albert Mohler – albertmohler.com
John Piper – desiringgod.org

Prayer is the means by which we communicate with our Heavenly Father through intercession made by Jesus Christ.

“Christ Jesus is the one who died-more than that, who was raised-who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” Romans 8:34

Prayer is not about asking God for something in hopes of simply getting what you want. Prayer is sacred. It is constant. It is relational, a way to receive wisdom, guidance and words. Prayer is essential in strengthening your relationship with the Lord.

In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus teaches the disciples how to pray:

9 Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

In this prayer in Matthew 6, also referred to as, “The Lord’s Prayer,” Jesus used it to model for the disciples how to pray. The Lord’s Prayer gives us a road map to guide our prayers to the Lord. Glorification, Provision and Shelter.

Glorification: 9-10
Glorify God in heaven asking for His plans and will to be accomplished despite what we might deeply desire. Our lives are to be a reflection of who He is and our desires should never supersede His ultimate means of glorification. EVEN if it means we do without what we want.

Provision: 11-12
For the majority of us, it is feasible to attain all we want and need. Jesus wants to teach us to rely on God for our daily needs. Be mindful in how you spend your money, give generous of your time, talents and treasures and providing open communication through the act of confession when we have done wrong against others. It is through provision where you may tell God your souls desires. BUT be mindful, God grants us the desires of our hearts ONLY if they are in line with His desires for our life.

Shelter: 13
Requesting protection from the enemy to avoid pitfalls into temptation. Obtaining wisdom will help us clearly see things to avoid. The author of Hebrews reminds us how Jesus can relate to our temptations:

For because He Himself has suffered when tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.” Hebrews 2:18

Matthew 6 and other passages of scripture can and should be read and prayed literally, but overall prayer is a time for Jesus to present your request to God and intercede for us. The Lord does want to hear our fears, failures, frustrations, wants and needs, but first, “self” must be removed and honor should be given to the One and Only Glorious King. Matthew 6 is our instruction manual for organizing the priority of prayer to the Lord. The purpose of prayer is to glorify God. If you can remember nothing else, remember your life, your actions, your prayers and your purpose for anything you do, is to bring glory to God.

Jesus prayed often, sometimes all night! He prayed in the garden before he took the penalty for our sins. He broke bread and prayed for miracles from heaven.

John 17:20-23 English Standard Version (ESV)
20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

There is no prayer too silly, too serious or too ugly to pray. God hears all. Prayer works. Prayers are answered. God hears prayers.

Welcome to part 4 of Psalm 118! Today we explore the last section to this truly beautiful Psalm. Psalm 118:25-29 read:

Save us, we pray, O Lord! O Lord, we pray, give us success!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord.
The Lord is God, and He has made His light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar!
You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you.
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!

Psalm 118:25, “Save us, we pray, O Lord! O Lord, we pray, give us success!” This verse brings reference to the New Testament when Jesus arrived on a donkey and all the people cried out “Hosanna.” The word ‘hosanna,’ in the Hebrew language comes from the word, ‘save.’ At the coming of Jesus, people wanted redemption because they believed Him to be the Messiah. Just because we live in a more modern time than what it looked like in the bible does not change our need for salvation. Our prayer should always be for salvation, for ourselves and for others who desperately need His grace.

Psalm 118:26, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord.” Much like people were crying out for salvation in verse 25, they cry out blessings over Him in this verse. The people had been waiting on this Messiah and even though some did not believe, others knew He did indeed come in the name of the Lord. Blessing was bestowed to Him from the people in hopes to express their thanks for His coming.

Psalm 118:27, “The Lord is God, and He has made His light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar!” The people continue to rejoice in God’s goodness and honor the Lord with a celebration.

Psalm 118:28, “You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you.” This verse resembles the words of Moses in Exodus 15:2, “The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my Father’s God, and I will exalt Him.”

Psalm 118:29, “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!” Just like that, Psalm 118 closes in the same fashion it opened. A reminder to us when we rise up in the morning and lay down in the evening, our day long prayer of thanksgiving should be lifted up to Him because His love endures forever.

What has this Psalm meant to you?

As we close, I am reminded of the full circle of emotions felt from start to finish of this Psalm; Praise, distress, salvation and victory. I will continue to turn to this Psalm when I face trials or when I need a simple reminder that God is on my side and He will always fight for me. Remember, God is always fighting for you, in fact, the war has already been won. Do not fall prey to the lies of the world which doubt the strength of our Lord. He is our strength, our song and our salvation. We should never fear, but praise and expectably wait on all He can do in your life.

Today is Part 3 in our study of Psalm 118. If you tuned in last week, hopefully you remember the powerful conquering from Psalm 118:10-18. Go ahead and read Psalm 118:19-24.

Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it.
I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Right off the bat in Psalm 118:19-21, our Psalmist Author, possibly Moses of the Old Testament, immediately expresses praise with adoration and thanksgiving.

“Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it. I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.”

Our Psalmist was experiencing great peril in the previous section of this psalm. He was being pursued by his enemies and the Lord saved him by fighting for him. It is only natural now, on the side of victory, that he wants to extol gratitude for being spared tremendous calamity. It is uncertain if our author is referring to a physical gate of a temple somewhere providing him with a place in which to praise, or a metaphorical gate much like the one referenced in Matthew 7:13-14:

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

A faith relationship with Christ is something many reject. Jesus told His disciples of many who would choose the world and enter through the wide gate and only a small few of would choose the narrow gate because of the sacrifices it requires. I see this to mean the Psalmist wanted to walk through that gate again to praise his Redeemer, reaffirming His choice to follow after Christ. In Psalm 118:21 he extols gratitude to God for listening and coming to his aid. God does listen, God does respond. Sometimes it does take us nearly falling on our face to see our need for God’s goodness and His magnificent power in which He can conquer even our darkest enemy.

Psalm 118:22, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”

This verse could be referring to Christ Himself. Acts 4:11 says, “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.” We all know Jesus Christ coming to us claiming to be the Messiah was not accepted by everyone. His ultimate plan of His death on the cross was set in motion because of the rejection He faced. If Psalm 118 was written by Moses, then it is possible Verse 22 could also be referring to rejection Moses faced. The Jews rejected him in Exodus 2 and the people of Israel rejected Him as he was attempting to lead them out of the wilderness, which encompasses most of the book of Exodus.

Psalm 118:23, “This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.” Everything God does is perfect. All He does is done to bless and teach us. He desires all honor, glory and praise from us, His children. Psalm 118 uses this reoccurring theme throughout the entire passage.

Psalm 118:24, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” The Author had experienced so much trial and victory, his natural response was a full heart wanting to rejoice in the Lord. A wonderful testimony to those of us who believe. Let us live each day joyfully aware that God Himself designed it. To live in constant worship of our Creator and what great things He has done in our lives and in the world around us.

Stay tuned next week for our final section of Psalms 118!

Today we jump into part 2 of our Psalm 118 series. Previously we covered verses 1-9 and it was phenomenal. Let’s go ahead and dive into Psalm 118:10-18. They read:

All nations surrounded me; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me.
The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.
Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous; “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,
the right hand of the Lord exalts, the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”
I shall not die; but live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.
The Lord has disciplined me severely, but He has not given me over to death.

As mentioned before, it is unspecified who the author of this beautiful psalm is. We can tell given by the continued authority and conviction this writer possesses, he was a leader. Speculation of Moses being the author makes sense because God chose him as the leader of a nation, even though Moses had plenty to say in opposition to God’s call on his life.

Psalm 118:10-12
“All nations surrounded me; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!”

In the opening verses of this section, the psalmist provides incredible imagery of the battle he was facing. His enemies obviously had come to battle for his end. I sense great power in his voice as he fights for his life. Without hesitation his response to all these evil men encroaching upon him was consistently, “In the name of the Lord I cut them off.” Christian, you and I need to believe in God’s ability and desire for us. When our enemies have set out to destroy us, in whatever way you experience it, the Lord will fight for you. This does not mean you stand there and take it. This means you ask God for wisdom in those moments for knowledge how to combat it, relying on His strength and not your own.

In Psalm 118:13, the psalmist takes it one step further, “I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me.” I imagine myself being pursued by my enemy, thousands of them and come to a cliff. I try hard to hold my ground, but inevitably I am pushed down by one of them incredibly close to the edge. I fall and as I look down, I can see rocks began to break off and fall into a dark seemingly endless pit. But somehow, with renewed strength, I get up. “But the Lord helped me.”

Psalm 118:14 “The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.” Do you realize without the Lord; you are doomed? He is spiritually and physically our strength and joy in song and salvation. He physically protects us all day long and He fights battles welling up around us. When insurmountable odds of evil seek to claim us, we claim His power because We. Are. His. NOTHING can stand a chance. Just as Jesus told His disciple Peter in Matthew 16:18,

“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Seeing the ways God becomes our strength, song and salvation is an awesome reminder that the powers of hell have no grip on us.

Psalm 118:15-16, “Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous; “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,
the right hand of the Lord exalts, the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”
When the Lord’s salvation is apparent in our lives, He is worthy of the praise. His valiance is affirmation. It requires our thanks and helps us keep confidence in the power He has.

Psalm 118:17-18, “I shall not die; but live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.
The Lord has disciplined me severely, but He has not given me over to death.” I LOVE verse 17. It is an amazing reminder of Gods glory in my life. When you face trial, challenge, death and come out alive, your testimony is worth sharing of the nature of how the Lord is a mighty warrior and conqueror. When He conquers evil attempting to subdue us, I delight in letting that become my testimony to expose truth of what MY God CAN do. Although we are all worthy of death, He will not hand his children over to it if you take hold of His salvation and let Him be your strength. Your enemies don’t stand a chance because God Never Fails.

I look forward to seeing you back for Part 3!

PSALM 118 – PART 1

Psalm 118 is hands down my absolute favorite Psalm in the entire book of 150 chapters. Many years ago I was facing a painful time in my life. I asked God to guide me to a passage to grant me peace and comfort in my time of despair. Over the course of several days, Psalm 118 continually entered my mind. It was not until late one night when I finally opened my bible to it and was overwhelmed with confidence. I hope as we breakdown this chapter, you feel the same.

Psalm 118:1-9

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!
Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
Let those who fear the Lord say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free.
The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
The Lord is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.

The Book of Psalms is theorized to have been written by a number of men. It is believed Moses may have actually written Psalm 118.

Verses 1-4 use the repeating phrase, “His steadfast love endures forever.” The author wanted to give us as readers a firm reminder, wherever you are and whatever type of environment you are a part of, His enduring love is available for you to grab hold of.

Verse 5, “Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free.” This verse was paramount during my struggle. Sometimes we scream so loud, yet doubt He cares to listen. This verse set apart from the others is the gospel message in full. In our distress, our sin, our oppression, we have a way to cry out and communicate to our Father in Heaven. It does not simply end with us wallowing in our despair. The Lord becomes an active participant in our time of need, responding to our angst and taking it upon Himself. We are left only with peace and freedom from our entanglement.

Verse 6, “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Verse 6 is the ULTIMATE confidence booster. I read this verse and suddenly, my heart is full with victory! I imagine myself climbing into a boxing ring with my opponent, man, the enemy. He has sought me out in hopes to bring about my destruction. But Isaiah 54:17 says, “no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed,” and Romans 8:11 drives home the point,

“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”

Suddenly, the power of Jesus revealed by use of the Holy Spirit jolts through me and His righteousness delivers that K.O. Punch.

Man: 0
God: INFINITY

Verse 7, “The Lord is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.” He really is. No matter what you go through in life, He is always at your side. Even when you do not feel His presence, I promise He is still there.

John 16:33 says, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Verses 8-9, “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.” Mankind is evil. Even when you think you can trust someone, they will undoubtedly always let you down. Placing our hope in the Lord not only gives us protection, it gives us assurance. Jesus endured the ultimate rejection, despised by men. But, His trust in the Lord gave Him the affirmation to endure His trial into victory because Father God was at His side.

Hebrews 12:2, “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

I hope you feel encouraged and victorious! Tune in next week for part 2 of 4 of this amazing Psalm.

What is God’s Will for My Life?

This age old question has been thought provoking since the beginning of time. At some point in our human span of existence, whether we believe in God or not, we all question our earthly purpose. Why am I here? Where did I come from? I’m certain you have contemplated these very things before yourself. Do you know the answer? Do you find yourself wondering what the answers are? These are good questions. Even the most intellectually gifted bible scholars and theologians have considered these questions at some time or another in their quest for truth. We often continue to ponder these things before and even after we give our life to Christ. We should always be considering our deep purpose. So how do we know? How do we know all the bible says is true? How do we know God is real? How do we know, after we believe, what our purpose is here on earth?

Think back to our beginning by first looking at creation.

GEN. 1: 1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

The first four words of the bible are crucial. “IN THE BEGINNING GOD.” Stopping there reveals a vital piece. It shows us God was around in the beginning, even before. You would know God is the focus of all things beginning AND you would note, nothing happened prior to God. He always was.

**Right now you are in one of two places; either you are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ and you believe and know without a doubt when you die you will be reconciled to God or you are not. You might be in a place of doubt or uncertainty but the facts remain, either you are currently in a growing relationship with Him or you are not. If you are not and you are still searching for answers, it is normal. If you truly ask God to reveal His realness to you, He will. Questioning God is ok, but only if we are willing to follow in obedience after He guides us to the truth.

If you are a believer, I rejoice in you being my brother or sister in Christ. This means you identify your sin and understand how it separates you from God. It means you do not want sin creating a spiritual blockade. It means you recognize how God’s love covers your sins and if you are willing, He will take away the burden of sin and cleanse you, allowing for a relationship to be born with your Heavenly Father. This IS the single most important decision you can EVER make in your life. That being said we can move on to understanding our purpose.

As believers, we have a purpose. We are to first, “Love God and Love People.” These are the two greatest God given commandments through His Son Jesus. Before the ascension of Jesus Christ into His heavenly home, He spells out our purpose at the end of Matthew 28, verses 19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  As a Christian, we have three callings of purpose or responsibilities to God, ourselves and others; Love God, love people, share the Good News. How God calls me to respond to these commands can most certainly look different than how another believer is called. My desires to love God could be spending time praying for an hour every morning and reading scripture. Someone else might sing praises focused on His biblical truths in a different format. Someone might love people by offering a homeless man a meal while another might love their brother by listening to something they are going through. Sharing the good news might be walking up to total strangers and sharing Jesus Christ or by praying with a group of close family members and talking to them about God. It is important to recognize that God creates differing opportunities to interact with others through our faith and if we are faithful and obediently embrace those opportunities, we will see God at work. Do not compare yourself with others and their way of answering how God speaks to them. Ask God to give you specific talents and desires to connect with Him and connect others to Him in a way that works for you. God has provided the resources to get out of our zone of comfort for His glory.

What is God’s specific purpose for my life? After we put God first in all we do, we wonder, what about a career path and a spouse and children? God has given each of us specific skills and desires to pursue and master to use for His benefit. There is no specific formula for figuring that out. I do know when I was going through a time in life and trying to get this question answered, God kept putting deaf people on my mind. I enjoyed ASL and did not really know why. I can look back 15 years now and see the divine plan God had and how He turned my interest into passion and passion into pursuit for His glory. Ask, Seek, Knock. Ask God. He will listen. Seek different ideas and what interests you. Knock, question and God will tell you yes or no.

You are worthwhile. You are cherished. You are important in the big picture of God’s story and your story is in God’s hands. Do not fear it, question it and seek His will in your life and you will be amazed at how God writes your story.

Verses for prayer in regards to purpose:

Mark 12:30-31 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

John 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

Exodus 9:16 But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.