IT HAPPENS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

 

 

 

 

“And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.”  (John 20:26)

 

We've all been there.  Confused, worried, upset, alone, helpless, or all of the above.  You knew the Lord heard your prayers, and you knew He would answer...but you still felt all alone.  You probably even asked "Where are you, God?"  The feeling of being "shut out" rises up in your heart. 

In today's scripture, the disciples were locked up in a room for eight days!  Their faith was really being tried.  They wondered why things happened the way they did...the miracle of Jesus death and resurrection.  Then SUDDENLY, out of nowhere, Jesus appeared to them!  There was no open door, not even an open window - yet there He was right in the midst of them.

In His presence, confusion is cast out, doubt and unbelief are destroyed , and faith is nurtured.  But our natural mind wants to work things out on our own.  We worry ourselves into depression trying to figure it all out...without God's help.  Why? 

It's because we get impatient.  Remember, He works in His own time and we must have faith that He has it all under control.  There will be times when there are no open doors, no open windows, and no way out.  This is the perfect time to allow God to show you exactly who He is!
 

"Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken." (Psalms 55:22)

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7)

As Children of God, we should have an  intimate relationship with Him.  Set aside some time alone with Him each day behind closed doors.  When you take time to talk to Him and cast all your cares upon Him, you'll find that all your answers are right there, behind closed doors.

“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”

( Matthew 6:6)

 

 

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, I long to be closer to you.  My heart is heavy when I'm not near you.  I want to know you more each day, not just when I'm in a desperate situation.  Help me to set aside time to fellowship with you regularly.  I realize that it's behind closed doors that all my doubts will be dispelled, my faith cultivated,  and your presence will manifest in my circumstances.  Thank you for loving me enough to want me in spite of my weaknesses.  I honor you and lift your name above all!  In Jesus' name, Amen.

 

Shut the door and open your heart!

TURN THE LIGHTS ON

 ^"In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)



We all want to be happy and enjoy fulfilling lives.  We, as Christians, want to please our Father and have that feeling of accomplishment in doing so.  But we must remember, in all aspects of our lives, there must be balance.  For instance, we can't just workout and not eat healthy, it won't do much good.  You can't work all hours of the day to buy anything you want, and never have time to enjoy it. 

Followers of Christ can easily fall into this trap as well.  Churches focus on ONE doctrine and not the others, this is what created "denominations".  Christians often do great works like feeding the hungry, providing clothing to the needy, offering rehabilitation centers, and doing community work- but they lose balance.  How?  Sadly, they are often "helping" others physically, but they aren't sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with these dying souls. 

On the other hand, you have street corner evangelists spreading God's word, or door-to-door bible study saints offering God's word...but they won't give a dime to a hungry person. 
As true Believers, we must balance out our priorities for the Kingdom.  Our light must stay on at all times.  Let God use your hands AND your heart in His service. 

In order to brighten the path for others to come out of darkness, we must be well-rounded and willing to do the WHOLE job that God is calling us to do.  Physically helping others is great!  But please remember to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ as you do it.  Let the people know that Jesus loves them and wants to come into their hearts...not just provide a blanket and a hot meal for today.  There is healing, restoration, miracles, prosperity, love, and so much more waiting for them in the arms of our Lord!  It's our job to let them know that they have a package that needs to be opened...and it's a gift from Almighty God!

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for using me for your glory.  I may have fallen short on the things I should be doing, but I ask that you forgive me.  Give me the words to say and the deeds to do in order to be a light for someone who may be in darkness.  Help my light to shine brighter than ever before. In Jesus name, Amen.

Now, turn that light on!! 

THE SEED

⁷ Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. ⁸ Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. ⁹ Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Galatians 6:7-10)

 

We are in the middle of harvest season. Farmers are gathering their final crops that they worked so hard for all year long.  I've been going through a lot of my old study guides from the classes I taught to the troubled youth several years ago, and I ran across this ancient story.  I'm not the original author, no one seems to know who the author was, but it's a very good story that we can all learn from...and share.  

 

The Seed

 

In a far away country in the East,  the Emperor was getting very old and knew it was time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or his children, he decided to do something different. He called young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next Emperor. I have decided to choose one of you."

The children were shocked, but the Emperor continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today--one very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next Emperor."

One boy, named  Lee, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it, carefully. Every day, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Lee kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Lee didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure. Six months went by--still nothing in Lee's pot.

He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Lee didn't say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow. A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the Emperor for inspection. Lee told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But his mother asked him to be honest about what happened.

Lee felt sick at his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace. When Lee arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were beautiful--in all shapes and sizes. Lee put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other children laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, "Hey, nice try."

When the Emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Lee just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today one of you will be appointed the next Emperor!"

Suddenly, the Emperor spotted Lee at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Lee was terrified. He thought, "The Emperor knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!"

When Lee got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. "My name is Lee." he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The Emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Lee, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new Emperor! His name is Lee!"

Lee couldn't believe it. Lee couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new Emperor?

Then the Emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds that would not grow. All of you, except Lee, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Lee was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Emperor!"

 

If you plant honesty, you will reap trust.
If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.
If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.
If you plant perseverance, you will reap victory.
If you plant consideration, you will reap harmony.
If you plant hard work, you will reap success.
If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.
If you plant openness, you will reap intimacy.
If you plant patience, you will reap improvements.
If you plant faith, you will reap miracles.

But

If you plant dishonesty, you will reap distrust.
If you plant selfishness, you will reap loneliness.
If you plant pride, you will reap destruction.
If you plant envy, you will reap trouble.
If you plant laziness, you will reap stagnation.
If you plant bitterness, you will reap isolation.
If you plant greed, you will reap loss.
If you plant gossip, you will reap enemies.
If you plant worries, you will reap wrinkles.
If you plant sin, you will reap guilt.



Two thousand years ago someone else told the same story with fewer words, "What you sow, so shall you reap". If you know who said this, nothing else needs to be said.

DEFENDING THE TITLE

"And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha."
(2 Kings 6:15-17)


Have you ever noticed that the closer you get to God, the harder the enemy tries to come against you?  People will say things to get under your skin, you have troubles on your job, sickness tries to take over your loved ones, and so much more.  These are all common tactics of the enemy.  He'll use everything in his power to try to overtake you.  But don't you worry. Be encouraged because the word says "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them". We are not alone!  God has never lost a battle, and He's not about to lose one now!  As long as you stay on the Lord's side, you can be guaranteed victory!!


Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,  today I want to thank you for VICTORY over my circumstances!  I am so glad that with Jesus on my side, I will always be a conqueror...never defeated.  I praise your Holy Name today as I go out onto the battle field.  I hold my head up high with all confidence, knowing that all is well.  Watch over me, strengthen me, and give me the wisdom to use the tools you've given me to win this battle today.  Let the victory in my life be an inspiration to someone else. In Jesus' name, Amen.

ARE YOU TOO BUSY?

God will get our attention one way or another. Here is a little story that I thought would be a great reminder for us to make time for God.

 

 

 

 

The Master called my name one day because He needed someone to do a special job.

I said "Lord, in my spare time, between school, spending time with my husband, working from 8 to 6, and trying to coordinate a program for my community to help our children do better, I will help you look. See, I know I can't go right now cause I have so much to do."

He said, "Well, where shall I find such a person? I thought I saw your name on my list of available people."

"Well Lord, that was the prayer that I prayed last year, but since then, things have changed."

He said, "Like what?"

"Well I'm working on my Ph.D. and I'm needed by so many people and my husband is always wanting something done, and on top of that my community EXPECTS me to help and give to them so..."

"Well, seeing that you're busy, I'll let you go, but we will talk again, if YOU have some time."

I went on through the days, and the weeks, and the months completing my task as always. One evening, while studying for my comp exams, I received a call from the hospital concerning my husband. He had been in a terrible accident and was in critical condition. I dropped everything and ran to the hospital where I found my husband hanging on for dear life.

I immediately begin to pray "Lord, don't take him now, I can't bare it."
But my prayer echoed off the wall and returned into mine own ear.
That next morning I left the hospital tired and weary, and walked in the door of my classroom just in time to begin my comps. As the professors begin asking me questions, I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

In my mind, I begin praying, praying hard, but my prayer echoed again and I found myself upset at God because he was no where to be found.
I could not explain to them what was happening.

After leaving from my exams, I called into work because I was so distraught at all that was going on. I explained to my supervisor what had happened and she demanded that I take some time off.

After visiting my husband in the hospital that evening, I went home and fell into a sunken state crying and despairing. Just then I heard someone calling my name.

"Lord, is that YOU?"

"Well yes it is. Do YOU have some time? I wanted to see if I could just talk ..... "

Instead of waiting to hear His questions, I lashed out in anger and resentment.
"How is it that when I needed You today, YOU couldn't be found and last night I cried and cried but all I heard were echoes from the walls. My husband is dying, I'm flunking out of school, I may not have a job and You can just sit and say YOU want to talk?"

The Lord interrupted me in my foolish speaking. "My child, I was busy, out looking for someone to go and tell others about me when you cried. By the time I came to answer, you had moved on to something else. So, I decided to let your husband rest, and keep you home for a few days. That way MAYBE you would get in touch with Me, if YOU had some time. For you see, before your husband, your school, or your job needs you, I NEED YOU. And if all these things take you away from Me, I have to almost take them away from YOU, in order to get a moment. "

I calmed down and began to cry. For I remembered my prayer of wanting to go and do for the Lord.

He said "I just wanted to recheck with you to see if you knew of ANYONE that I could send to be a witness for Me and tell others about Me. .. any one at all....?"

With tears in my eyes and feeling so unworthy I said "Lord, send me, I'll go."

 

 

God should never have to ask us if we have some time.
When He died on the cross He put aside everything to insure us eternal life.
We should be more than GRATEFUL to do service for the Lord, to witness, and to tell ANYONE we can about Jesus. Don't let your "things", WHATEVER they may be, get you so tied up that God has to become a meeting time in your yearly planner. He had more than enough time for us. The least we could do is have time for him.

THE 3 WISE MEN... AND THE FOURTH GIFT

We've all heard the popular story about the birth of Jesus.  The "Three Wise Men" brought three gifts. Well did you ever notice the FOURTH GIFT?



One of the most fascinating parts of the Christmas story is the coming of the Magi. When the Magi (or Wise Men) visited the baby Jesus they brought gifts to present to Him. It was customary that foreign emissaries and ambassadors would bring gifts to court the favor of royalty. This was especially true at the times of royal births.

The Magi came to Jerusalem seeking the newborn king of Israel and did not find Jesus there. The Magi were directed to Bethlehem to search for Jesus there. Once they located Jesus they presented Joseph and Mary gifts for the birth of the King. Each of the three gifts represented an aspect of who Jesus is and what His mission was to fulfill.

We are not given any indication of the amounts of each of the gifts or how many of the Magi were represented. The IMPORTANCE of the gifts was the message that each one conveyed about Jesus.
The Gold represented the fact that Jesus was royal.
The Frankincense supports the claim that Jesus is divine.
The Myrrh was for the importance of the mortality of Jesus.

1.) Gold: The gift of gold was often reserved for royalty. The Magi told King Herod that they had come to see the one born King of the Jews. It is clear that they recognized Jesus as being royal but the question is why? The issue is the star of Bethlehem. The Magi had seen the star and they recognized the importance of the star in the sky as a sign of a spectacular birth. The Magi brought gold in some form, whether it was jewelry, coins, or just pieces, we are not told. The importance of the gift was that it represented the fact that Jesus was royal.

2.) Frankincense: The gift of frankincense is somewhat unusual. Frankincense was a highly valued commodity and somewhat rare. The Jewish people had a common use for frankincense that was directly connected to the worship of God. In the Temple, the Jews prayed before the Altar of Incense which was always kept burning. The substance burned on that altar was frankincense. When frankincense is burned it gives off a sweet smelling white smoke. The smoke rising from the altar of incense represented the prayers of the people rising to God in heaven. The only use of frankincense for Jews was at this altar and it was reserved for the worship of God. The Magi presenting this gift to Jesus represents the fact that He was indeed divine.

3.) Myrrh: The gift of myrrh seems the most odd of the gifts. Myrrh was extremely valuable and had a number of uses. The most common use was a perfume. Sometimes myrrh might be used in the homes of the wealthy to create a pleasant fragrance but was normally reserved for special instances. The major use of myrrh was for burials. Myrrh was placed on the cloths used to wrap bodies for burial to help prevent the smell of decay following death. The Magi presented this gift to Jesus as a representation that He would one day die. The gift almost seems to convey the fact that Jesus was born to die.

Though there are still many questions about the Magi that may be left unanswered, we can determine that they brought a fourth gift that is often forgotten by many. After they laid their treasures down before Mary and Joseph, they WORSHIPPED Jesus.
These wise men from afar came not just to court favor but to proclaim that they believed Him to be the King of kings.
The greatest gift that we can offer to Jesus this Christmas is our praise and worship.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

 ^"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10)


Have you ever wondered, "What on Earth was I created to do?"  God created each one of us for a specific purpose.  You were put here to make a contribution, not just to consume resources.  There is something special in you that the world needs!  Today's scripture reminds us that our good works were already prepared of us by God...in advance!  Isn't it great to know that our roadmap is already designed?  It's up to us to follow it!

Whenever you serve others in any way, you are serving God and fulfilling one of your purposes. (Colossians 3:23-24, Matthew 25:34-45, and Ephesians 6:7).  The Lord says in Jeremiah 1:5, that before He made you in your mother's womb, He chose you! You were born set apart for a special work.

This special work isn't necessarily a pulpit ministry, pastor, or evangelist.  Once we are born again, our job is to serve others.  Your gift from birth is the key to your form of service for His glory.  You may have a talent for teaching, comforting others, giving, creating, or any of millions of talents!  Use your talent for the glory of God, that's why it was given to you!

As we go into Thanksgiving, let's remember to use what God gave us to be service to someone else.  Show Him how thankful you are for your gift - use it for Him!



Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, today I thank you for the talent I was born to use for Your glory.  Show me where I may be of service according to Your will.  Use me in a special way to draw others to you. In Jesus name, Amen.


Service is a gift!