WHAT CAN UNMAKE YOU?

Interesting question isn’t it. Herbert Ager once said “If you don’t make up your mind, your unmade mind will unmake you.” Was he talking about our lack of willingness to give ourselves this day to God? Was he speaking to the things that I have not decided that I am sure will go against His desire for me?
The one thing we must be sure of in our lives is our willingness to be God’s witness in this world today. He needs so many more of His children to stand up for what is right. He needs us to move from our indecision to action. Without this movement, children can be lost in the darkness of this world, and homes destroyed. What will you decide?
I love the words that we find in Joshua: “...but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15) What would a decision like this mean to you? What would it mean for your family and fellow workers?
Do you fear that you might not have the strength to become this witness to others? If so, then another scripture that will bring strength to you this day is found in this word from Jesus: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness...." (2 Cor. 12:9). So you see, it is not your weakness that will unmake you, it is the lack of willingness to even try to show God's love in your life that gives you trouble.

Mid-week Prayer

Loving God, accept my willingness to change and allow me to find the glory of following you as the greatest decision of my life. I pray this in the holy name of Christ. Amen.

This has been Rev. Jim Massey. Be strong and bold for God today and you will be amazed at the new found blessing in your life. Join me again next week for another mid-week Epistle.

And You are Going Where?

There is a story told of a man who was standing in the middle of his field, when he noticed a horse coming toward him at full gallop. The man on the back of the horse was frantically holding on for dear life. "Hey, rider," shouted the man, "Where are you going?"
The rider frantically replied: "Don't ask me, ask my horse."
Have you every felt like the man on the back of the horse? Life is taking you down a road and you are not sure where you are going, you are just going.
People trying to find out where they are going has become one of the reasons for a multi-million dollar industry for GPS manufacturers. They have models that mount on the dash of your car, tie around your wrist, or can even be activated from your cell phone. When you use these, you are not supposed to get lost. (I still do sometimes.) Of course, even with the little devices, we still use roadmaps.
Do you feel the same about the direction of your life? Everyone and everything seems to pull or push you along and you sometimes wonder about the direction you are going. Proverbs 16:7 says: “The highway of the upright avoids evil; he who guards his way guards his life.”
When we follow God, the direction we travel grows clearer with every moment of faith. We invite God into our lives and are always sure where we are going as we walk with Him.

Mid-week Prayer

Loving Father, we come this day knowing it is difficult to listen to the world and walk with You. We continue to seek the direction that tells us the truth and offers us hope. Then we remember Jesus said He was the way, the truth, and the life. Oh God, thank You for the strength of His salvation for our lives. Amen.

This has been Rev. Jim Massey. Look at the direction you are heading right now. Who or what do you give control of your heart and spirit? See you next week for another Mid-week Epistle.

Fear is a Good Thing

One of my favorite Psalms is 112. It begins with the admonition:
“Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in His commands.”
Some people, when they read the word “fear” in the Scriptures picture in their mind someone who is hiding from God. They are trembling because God can bring a terrible judgment upon their life and they know that God is someone to keep at a distance.
Yet if you truly “fear” God, you find that God is the power that changes our life. His presence fills our hearts not only in holy places, like Israel or church, but everywhere we find our heart to be.
This joy and admiration brings a great awe to our life. A power that not only causes us to be amazed at its strength, but it continually calls us to grow deeper into the Kingdom of God.
There is a great reason for this fear-filled walk with God. It is found in verses 6 and 7 of the same Psalm:

“Surely he (the man of God) will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever.
He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.”

Long ago I found a prayer by an anonymous author. I think it comes after we find the true “fear” of loving God:

PRAYER JUST FOR TODAY
Give me your help, Lord, to live this one day.
One knot to unravel, one problem to weigh;
One path to discover and choose the right turn.
One worry to conquer, one lesson to learn;
One moment of gladness to overcome pain;
One glimpse of the sunlight, one touch of the rain.
No one can see what is coming tomorrow,
Nor tell if its hours will bring laughter or sorrow;
So I'll turn to your love and with perfect trust say.
"Lord, give me your help to live this one day."

Can you see now how fear can be a good thing?

Mid-week Prayer

Holy God, we come before you with a life filled with challenges and concerns. We walk in the world and we hear the sound of a people who are struggling. When we come to You with our life freely given to Your will, we still hear the struggle of the world, but we begin to realize that we have been taught to hide and ignore Your grace. We have been taught by our own doubts, our false hopes and the mistrust of others.
Come today and let us truly be filled with the “fear” (awe) of Your Holy presence. We pray this in the blessed name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.

This has been Rev. Jim Massey. Why not read all of Psalm 112 and join me again next week and we will search the Bible to find more of God’s love for our lives.

Can’t Wait to Sing

One of the great thrills of our Holy Land trip was the sound of our voices singing God’s praises. It could be in places such as the Garden Tomb, or at an ancient city. It would be on the bus every morning and even when we were just traveling down the road. But the most memorable was in some of the churches where the sound would go on ringing forever.
As we traveled, I remembered something that I once read by
Donald Hustad. He once wrote: “Somehow, about 40% of churchgoers seem to have picked up the idea that ‘singing in the church is for singers.’ The truth is that ‘singing is for believers.’ The relevant question is not, “Do you have a voice?” but “do you have a song?”
Now I realize what made our voices rise to such heights. We had something so powerful to sing about that every voice would resound with great joy. We knew that this special place would glorify God if we would just lift our voices filled with the Holy Spirit that was dwelling inside.

Mid-week Prayer

Holy God, let our voices always ring with joy. Not just in the Holy Land of Israel, but in the Holy Land of our town, jobs, and family. Let us know the joy of having the “song of the Resurrected Jesus” ringing in our hearts. We pray this in the blessed name of Your Holy Son. Amen.

This has been Rev. Jim Massey. Go ahead and sing, no matter where you are. If you are afraid people might not like your voice, then sing for the One who knows the joy that sounds in your witness. See you next week in another Mid-week Epistle.