Day and night

“I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.” John 9:4 (NKJV)

John Chapter 9 begins with Jesus and His disciples making their way through Jerusalem. As they walk, they come across a man who was born blind. Because of his disability, this man was forced to beg on the city streets for alms. When the disciples see him, they assume—as most did in that day—that his blindness was God’s punishment for some sin he or his parents had committed. So they ask the Lord whether it was the man or his parents who were to blame.

Jesus says that neither is to blame and explains that the man’s affliction isn’t punishment but was ordained as a backdrop for God’s glory to shine. And as Jesus proceeds to bring light to this man’s darkness, the glory of the Lord does indeed shine!

But Jesus says something before He performs the miracle that gives us insight into His outlook on life. He says that He must do the works of God while it’s day because night is coming. What does that mean? Christ was saying there was a certain window of time (day) where He was going to walk this earth and do His Father’s work. But once He was crucified (night), that window would close.

To put it another way, Jesus understood His life on earth was temporary, and He was going to make the most of the time He had. He didn’t procrastinate or spin his wheels aimlessly. He knew He needed to accomplish the work at hand while there was time.

That’s the same perspective we need to have. When it comes to this life, there’s day and there’s night. There’s time now for us to do certain things. Like Jesus, we need to be wise stewards of the daytime. The window to work is now open, so let’s be faithfully active before it closes.

Think About It…
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?

Re-posted from Active Word with Pastor Bob Coy

"Actions in heaven happen when someone prays on earth."

Prayer Changes Things

Prayer truly changes things! If you don't believe it, try it.  Just an update on the young mother in my last blog who suffered a heart attack.  She is still unconscious but stable.  We pray that God continues to strengthen her body, mind, and soul.  Isaiah 41:10 states "Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." God has truly been by her side just as he is by all of our sides.  God's love is everlasting and can make what seems to be impossible things, possible.  "Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORDS will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40: 28-31.  We must all hold to God's unchanging hand and know that even in our darkest hour, He has our back.  


"Actions happen in heaven when someone prays on earth."

Tomorrow's Not Promised

    "Live life to the fullest."  "Life is too short."  "Treasure every moment in life."  These are words that we say to each other periodically but do we really understand and grasp those words.  Today, I was hit with news about two people I know, both who are younger than 40.  The first is a young mother who collapsed at work from a heart attack and has been given only a short time to live.  It is heartbreaking to think about the fact that her young children will never get a chance to feel her warm embrace again or see her smile again.  They could not have imagined that the morning their mother left home for work, they would never see her walk back through the door. The second was a friend of mine from college who underwent gastric bypass surgery on last week and passed away this morning.  He and some of his friends were planning a trip for October to attend an NFL game.  I'm sure his friends never imaged he would not be here to attend the game with them.

    As young children, when we thought about a person being 30 or 40, a lot of us considered that as being "OLD".  And if you were 50 or older, you were just "ancient".  The fact of the matter is, it is at those ages when most of us truly understand and appreciate life and begin trying to impart wisdom to those younger than us in hopes they won't make some of the mistakes in life we did.  In speaking with my mother, she quoted the words of a song to me that says "the leaning tree is not always the first to fall."  As a small child, around 7 or 8, I thought the only people who died were older people, people who were at least 70.  Today, I realize just how much of a blessing it is to reach the age of 70.  I think about my grandmother who is 84 (and still going strong) and thank God for allowing her to be with us for as long as she has been.  To be able to reach her age and look back and see three generations that started from her. She has never buried a child or grandchild, she witnessed all her children and grandchildren graduate, and is now watching her great-grandchildren grow. That has to be a wonderful feeling!  All of us will not be able to reach the point in life where she is.  Many of us will be called home before then.  We can only pray that we are able to experience a piece of the joy she has had over the years.  God is all powerful and all knowing.  My prayers go out to both of their families.

    Life IS too short. We truly need to treasure EVERY moment.  Don't wait until it's too late, tell those you love that you love them, and as my grandmother says, "Be kind to those that use and abuse you too. Just feed them with a long handled spoon."  You never know when it will be your time to take your eternal rest, so do it today.  If you would, please whisper a prayer for both of these families.  Be blessed.

"Actions in heaven happen when someone prays on earth."

Love

I'm sure many of you have heard the saying that some people are meant to be in your life for just a season and others are meant to be in your life for a life time. Once you realize who those persons are that are going to be in your life for a lifetime, hold on to them tight and don't let go. You'll know who they are because when the bottom falls out of the sky and it seems no matter where you go, you get rained on, they are always there with an umbrella, a towel, and an inspiring word. It's those people who are willing to show unconditional love we should acknowledge and appreciated most. As for those persons who are only meant to be in your life for a season, receive what it is God is trying to give you through them at that time, whatever lesson it may be, hold on to it, and them let them be on their way.  Acknowledge them and appreciate them as well, but then when the time comes, say the benediction.  Don't kill yourself trying to hold on to a seasonal person.

In the youth girls Bible study class I teach, our lesson last week was "Love". We discussed how we should make an all-out effort to love other as Jesus loved us. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 states "Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast.  It is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs, Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails."  So when you go to work or to class tomorrow and you see that person who just rubs you the wrong way or is always looking at you sideways, smile, greet them, and tell them you hope they have a good day or a good evening. (I know how hard it is to do that sometimes, trust me!) Your day will be better for it and if they can not accept your kindness/love, let God deal with that.  You did your part and will be blessed for it.  Love those lifetime people as well as those seasonal people!

"Actions happen in heaven when someone prays on earth." 

Wronged By Others

In life, sooner or later, we all encounter people who say they have our best interest at heart but really, they do not, or we encounter people who, for whatever reason, "have it out for us".  Many times we are blinded to the truth of how people truly feel about us or what their real motives are.  Recently, I have come to realize just how true this is and being raised in a very religious family, turned to God for guidance.  He knew exactly what I needed and has been revealing it to me over the past week.  Beginning on Sunday, I was presented with the word from my pastor.  My pastor stated that your best interest is not the primary concern of everyone you meet and even some people in your life who you believe "have your back" really don't.  They will try to convince you to stay in a relationship that you know is not worth holding on to, a relationship that is abusive in some form or fashion, they will try to convince you to buy a house or car that you know you are unable to afford and then when you get in a financial situation, they can not be found, they complain about having to help you, or they start pointing out all the things they think are wrong with you that caused you to get in the situation you are in.  In the words of my pastor, "it is at that time that you need to give those persons the benediction...May the Lord watch between me and thee because we are about to be absent, one from another."  There is no need to be rude or ugly to them because as my mother always taught us, "two wrongs don't make a right."  Today, my daily devotion summed it up and brought it home for me.  In the Bible, Luke 10:19 states "Behold, I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you."  Kenneth Copeland states in one of his books that when someone does you wrong, you should take the following three (3) steps.

• "Step 1: Identify the enemy! Don't waste your energy ranting and raving or plotting and scheming against people who cause you pain.  They're simply under the devil's influence.  Aim your spiritual ammunition at the right target.  It's the devil who's behind it all. Go after him."
• "Step 2: Fire! Once you've pointed your spiritual guns in the right direction, fire!  Hit the devil fast and furiously with the word of God.  Use the name of Jesus and the power that's been given you as a believer and bind the devil from doing you any further harm in that area."
• "Step 3: Pray the prayer of intercession. In Matthew 5:44-45, Jesus gives us these instructions: Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you and persecute you; that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven."

With this in mind, I have made a decision to start afresh.  It is my goal to evaluate my various relationships, strengthen the good ones that have grown weak, and recite the benediction to those that cause me to be weak.

"Actions happen in heaven when someone prays on earth!"