Jesus is Lord!

Luke 6:12-16
12 One day soon afterward Jesus went to a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. 13 At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. Here are their names:
14 Simon (he also called him Peter),
   Andrew (Peter’s brother),
   James,
   John,
   Philip,
   Bartholomew,
15 Matthew,
   Thomas,
   James (son of Alphaeus),
   Simon (the Zealot),
16 Judas (son of James),
Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

Through out the Gospel writers note that before every important event in Jesus’ life, He took time to go off by Himself and pray.  Jesus was preparing to choose His inner circle of apostles.  He had many disciples (learners), but He chose only 12 to become apostles (messengers).  The apostles were His inner circle to whom He gave special training and whom He sent out to build His Church. Christ needed to know the Father’s will completely in this matter and took time to pray through the night.  He had a direct connection to the Father to know His will in this matter, just as we have a direct connection to the Father because of what Christ did for us.  If He needed to spend a lot of time to know the Father’s will how much more do we?  Do you take the time to know what direction God would have you go?  Do not use prayer for a way to try and control what God does for you; it is a way for you to put yourself under His control.  There is a big difference.  Sometimes we do need to go a certain direction until God directs us differently, but most of the time we need to wait until we hear from Him until we move.  Follow the example Christ gave and take the time to know what the Father would have for you to do.

Have a God Day! 

Psalm 119:1-8
1 Happy are people of integrity, who follow the law of the Lord.
2 Happy are those who obey his decrees and search for him with all their hearts.
3 They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths.
4 You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully.
5 Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your principles!
6 Then I will not be disgraced when I compare my life with your commands.
7 When I learn your righteous laws, I will thank you by living as I should!
8 I will obey your principles. Please don’t give up on me!
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

Have you ever felt like crying out to God, “Don’t give up on me!”  How do we stay pure in a filthy world? We cannot do it on our own. So many times I am like Paul in Romans 7:18 & 19, “I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn, I can’t make myself do right. I want to, but I can’t. When I want to do good, I don’t. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway.” The only way to become like Christ is to know Him and spend time with Him. The more we hang out with Him, the more we become like him. If you hand out in a smoke shop, you will smell like smoke, but if you hang out in a flower shop, you will smell like flowers. Where you spend time will show in your behavior and attitude. Spend time with Christ and His people and you will know and act like Him. Keeping His Word in our hearts is a deterrent to sin. But it is more than just knowing or memorizing the Word, we must put it to work in our lives. If we have experienced something first hand, we are more likely to remember and learn from it. Take the time to learn from the map God has given us to become like Him and be His righteousness to this world. Determine in your mind that you will follow the Lord in all you do and say. And when you stumble, and you will, just pick yourself up and start again.

Have a God Day!