Friday the 30th

Acts 13: ²²After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'

 

A man after the Lord’s heart, if anything could be said about me on my death bed that one thing would be more than enough. The story of David is a great one indeed. No one could argue that David accomplished great things in the name of the Lord. However, David was not perfect., and that gives this recovering sinner a great deal of hope. David was very human, he made some great choices, and he made some bad ones of epic proportions. The same could be said for each of us aw well could it not? David’s story reminds each of us that God is not expecting perfection, He is expecting devotion. The Lord created us, He knows that we will make mistakes, He knows that we will stumble. The question that He needs an answer to, is will we recover? Will we pick ourselves up, and carry the cross that we have been given, or will we drop it on the side of the road and continue down the road without Him? That was David’s redeeming quality….he never gave up. He praised the Lord during his seasons of joy, and when his poor choices led him into a season of pain, David still continued to praise the Lord. David recognized his transgressions, and made it a point to rededicate his life to the Lord. If David, a man after the Lords heart was less than perfect, then what does that say about and for us? It tells us that we serve a great, and understanding God.  It tells us that God does not see what man sees. Man looks to the outside, God looks within. It tells us that each one of us has the opportunity to be like David, each one of us has the opportunity to stop where we are right now, recognize our transgressions, and reconnect with the Lord. May each one of us find the strength to do just that, so that we too might be known as a person after the Lord’s own heart!

 

Have a great weekend,

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

The New Covenant Church

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

<))))><

 

 

 

Thursday the 29th

John 12:  ⁴⁷"As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.

 

 

These are the words of Christ. "I did not come to judge the world, but to save it."  If we look at the word judge in its original text we see that it is krinō

Properly to distinguish, that is, decide (mentally or judicially); to try, condemn, punish: - avenge, conclude, condemn, damn, decree, determine, esteem, judge, go to (sue at the) law, ordain, call in question, sentence to, think.

 So if Christ is not prepared to judge those that do not keep His word yet, why are we? Why are we so ready to jump on to the band wagon and condemn those that do not fall in line with the word of the Lord? If Christ did not condemn anyone to hell while He was here, why do so many Christians feel strangely OK with telling people that they are going to hell? Don't get me wrong here, there is nothing wrong with disagreeing, there is nothing wrong with gentle correction, and we are expected to hold fast to the Word of the Lord, but the hard part is accepting the fact that many will not agree with us. Many will hear the Word and turn their backs. That my friends is not an instant ticket to the fast train to hell. If that were the case then Paul would have been condemned to hell long before he became an apostle of Christ. Moses would have been condemned before he could be called to lead the Israelites, and if that was the case……well I know that I would have been condemned from a fairly early age.  The Lord comes to each of us at different times in our lives, for you it might have been at a young age, for others it might not be until very late in life. The point is, if we spend all of our time condemning, and judging, we don't leave much room for compassion, and love.  If people are to follow our example, as we follow Christ's, and all they see is judgment, and iron fisted rule, then we are not giving the true picture of Christ. We do a disservice to our youth, and to the Lord Himself.  So who is judging whom? Will we not have to stand by our actions, just the same as the next person? Christ goes on to tell us that the very words He spoke will condemn on the last day. That will be the time for judgment, and it will not be you or I in the judgment seat. To make it simple, Love breeds compassion, which breeds understanding, understanding brings about a change of heart, and perspective. Judgment brings about finality, anger, and resentment…..Which did Christ portray when He walked the face of this earth? Which will you choose to show the world? Remember, 3 John1:11  "Anyone who does what is evil has  have not seen God"…….yet.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

The New Covenant Church

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

<))))><

 

 

 

Wed the 28th

John 14: ¹⁰Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.

 

 

The Father is living in Christ doing His work. Christ came to fulfill the prophecies and bring us eternal life, the great things He did while He was walking the earth were not just Him, they were His Father fulfilling His plan. This scripture goes on to read:  ¹²I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. So we are here to continue what God started in His Son. We are to carry out the continuation of His divine plan. The exciting part is that Christ tells His disciples that those who believe will do even greater things that He has done. Now we know that none of us will do anything bigger than what Christ has done by giving us the gift of eternal life, but if we look at the Greek word used : meizon we find that it means larger as in more than previously accomplished. Have we not accomplished just that, more of what Christ started, more forgiveness, more compassion, more love. Has His word not spread across the globe? We have accomplished greater things, but we are far from finished. You have work to do, and so do I. We have to continue to do greater works. We have to continue to reach further, and run faster. The Holy Spirit burns within each of us, urging us forward so that we might run the good race and run to win. You are destined to do great things. Each of us are. If you don’t think you are capable of it, then read the text again…because Christ has died for us, our bounds are limitless. You will do great things, you will continue the works of the Lord. Why? Because just as the Father lives in Christ, so Christ resides in us. Our accomplishments and our words are not ours alone, but they are the accomplishments of the Lord. Don’t tell me great things cannot come from that! We have to realize that we are not just trudging through the day a soul less corps. We are believers in Christ. The Son of God almighty. He has great works to accomplish, and He will work through you to accomplish them. Greater things are to come, and you my fellow Christians are the vessels of the Lord that will carry it out.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

The New Covenant Church

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

<))))><

 

 

 

Monday the 26th

Acts 11: ¹⁷So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?"

 

“who was I to think I could oppose God”……We all have choices to make in our lives. We all are put in the same situation as Peter was. God makes His will clear, and we have a choice. Do we follow it (even if we do not understand right at the beginning) or do we decide to head off in the direction that we “know” to be right? How often do we feel a pull to go in a direction that we know will not be comfortable for us? How often do we feel urged to step out of our comfort zone, yet we decline the offer? Peter had no idea what was to come of this journey, he simply knew that he must go….and who was He to question God…..when he got there Peter went inside the house, a house that under law was forbidden for him to enter…… but who is he to question God….. and then once Peter started the preaching the blessings start pouring out….on to people that were thought to be beyond God’s help……What was Peter to do after all…..who can oppose God? This message is a clear reminder that no one is beyond the Lord’s reach….no one. It reminds us that no one knows the Lord’s plan fully…..no one. Most of all it is a reminder that no one can oppose God…..NO ONE.. What is God calling you today? Where is the Lord pointing you to go? Is it down a path that is unfamiliar to you? Maybe the road looks rough, and seldom used. Whatever the case one thing is clear, He needs you to go. HE needs you to take that step….that first, so important first step in faith, and trust that while we might not understand the plan, we understand and know that God is with us, and who are we to oppose God?

 

I lift up my wife in prayer today, and ask for you to please do the same. she has been sick…..worse that I have seen her in quite a while, who know….maybe it is God’s way of slowing her down….maybe it is God’s way of reminding me of all the things that she does that I take for granted…whatever the case, please pray that today she finds her strength renewed, her faith strengthened, and her body revitalized. Amen

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

The New Covenant Church

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

<))))><

 

 

 

Thursday the 22nd

John 6: ⁶⁶From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

 

Jesus was a popular guy among the common people. When He showed up, people would flock to see Him, and many would follow Him when He left their town. They would follow….until it got hard. One thing that always strikes me is that it is never recorded that Jesus went after those who left Him. He was never heard to say, “hey guys, wait up….where are you going?” In doing so, Christ showed us one of the hardest examples we should follow. Learning to let people go. Christ knew that there would be many people who would not follow, He knew that there would be people who would come, listen, then leave. He never missed a beat, He never faltered. He just kept marching down His path set before Him by His Father. If only we could find a portion of that strength! How often do we clamor for the fellowship of people who really do nothing but drag us down? How often do we chase after people begging them to stay, yet knowing all the while that they do not really support us? We are taught to believe that the more people that we have with us, the stronger we are. We are told that it is better to keep the peace, and hold on to friends than it is to hold fast to the truth, and lose that relationship. It can be a painful lesson to learn, but one that we must all learn sooner or later. It is called “standing on the rock”. The rock is Jesus Christ. It is called living the truth, that truth is yet again Christ. It is about never standing alone, even when you find that you are standing by yourself. Your constant companion….anyone…anyone…yep, Jesus Christ. When we start living life on the rock, we will have people in our lives that will find it hard to continue to be our friends. We will have people that were close to us (or so we thought) judge us, and hold us out as traitors to the friendship. We cannot focus on what we lose, we have to learn to let them leave. It is not a matter of how many we lose, it is what we have to gain that counts. Christ knew what was on the line….eternal life for all. Christ knew who sent Him, and what was expected form Him. Armed with that knowledge Christ was unwavering. So we should be. We too know who sent us, we too know the expectations. SO we too must learn that while life on the rock can be challenging, it is the only life worth living, because it is the only life that is eternal. We will have people who will turn their backs on us, we will have people who turn their alliance on us. Let them go. I don’t know about you, but I would rather stand with the Trinity surrounding me, and stand alone on judgment day, than stand with a crowd of a thousand that never found the rock.

 

 

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

The New Covenant Church

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

<))))><

 

 

 

Wed. the 21st

John 6: ³⁷All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.

 

Good things here…..Goooood things! Here we see Christ once again saying that anyone who comes to him he will never drive away. I know, I know, your are all saying come on Brian we all know that. That is no new news! But just because you know it does not mean you believe it, and just because you believe it, does not mean that we live it! You might say of course I believe it, but do you? Are you convinced? Are you convicted? Have you allowed that truth to settle into your heart, and really understand what that means? See… we all know Christ will accept everyone of us, but do you believe it about yourself? It is quite human, do we not find ourselves throughout the day setting people on different levels? You might say I love everyone…..but I love this person more than that person, or I will keep this person close, but this one I will keep at arms distance? As the world ahs taught us… we might love everyone…..we just don’t love everyone the same. As a result, this is how we view how we are loved. Is it not a question that we ask others? “how much do you love me?” As if we are waiting to be ranked. The truth is there is no ranking to Christ, He loves me as much as He loves the next person…..as much as He loves you. We live in fear of being driven out of the group. We are worried that others might find out about some aspect of our lives and as a result they will no longer love us the same. We worry that if we do not agree with our peers then we might be cast out. So I ask you again…..do you believe that Christ loves YOU so much, that once you come to Him, He will NEVER drive you away? I will tell you this, there is nothing you can hide from the Lord, He already knows it. There is nothing that you can do to drive Him away, because you were chosen before you were born. You are loved in your darkest hour, in your moment of shame, in your time of disappointment….when you think that you have done the worst that you could do, and there is no way anyone you know would claim you as their own….there is One that is there. There is One that has His hand out, There is One who saw the fall coming, and ran ahead to be there to help pick you up. Yes God loves us…..but most importantly…the Lord loves YOU. I will say it again, the Lord loves you, not only does He love you, but He loves you so much that He will never leave you once you commit to Him. Will you accept that love? Will you allow the Lord a place in your heart so that He might love you fully? Will you let yourself become convicted of the fact that you are loved, and that love will never be withdrawn? Yes, we all know that God loves the world, but do you know how much God loves YOU?

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

The New Covenant Church

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

<))))><

 

 

 

Tuesday the 20th

Matthew 20: ¹³"But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? ¹⁴Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. ¹⁵Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'

How great of a God we serve. We do not get what we deserve by worldly standard, our measure is not judged by how much work we do. The Lord pours out his blessing on each one of us. The ones who do great things, and the ones who do little things, the ones who dedicate their lives form childhood, and the fella that just showed up yesterday, we all get the same. Let me say that again because it bears repeating, the last is just as precious as the first. In this parable the land owner goes out several times throughout the day collecting workers for his field, then at the end of the day he pays each worker the same with ones who showed up first being paid the same as the ones who showed up last. I highlight the last part of the parable because it is where I find my biggest fault. Why must we always worry about what someone else has? Why must we feel as though we are being gypped because someone got the same thing we did? So often in life I realize that I have lost sight of what is important. We serve a God who does not care when you come home, he is just overjoyed that you came home. He loves the one who just walked through the door, just as much as the one who has been there for years. That is cause for joy, not for jealously. If God treats us so well, then why do we feel compelled to treat others any differently? Don’t we all do that to some extent? We measure the people in our lives by what they have done, by how long they have been around….by how much they can do for us. It is times like these I feel humbled, I feel weak, and I feel undeserving. You see, I have to admit, that sometimes I cannot….no I guess the better way to say it is, I will not…. pour out the same love that my Lord, and God pours out on me! Each person in our lives is important, each of them deserves the same love…..but man that can be hard…. no? If you think about it, I am sure that all of the workers in the field did not even do the same amount of work! Even those that were there for the same amount of time. Surely someone always works harder, or does more. Yet God still loves the ones that worked hard, the same as the ones who worked at a slower pace. It seems very evident that the important thing to the Lord is that you show up! The Lord calls each of us to His field, HE has told us that the harvest is plenty, but the workers are few. He is not concerned with when you get there, He is overjoyed that you made it. Just as each of us has been called to His field, the people around us have been called into our lives, and us into the lives of others. May we each learn to view each other as God does…not by when they got there, or how much they do, but may we learn to pour out our love on each and every person. Imagine a place where every time a person shows up, instead of them being measured by worldly standards, there was a celebration, a place where every person had value, and worth, a place where instead of asking what do you want when they walk through the door, there is a resounding shout of thank you for showing up shouted. Imagine that place, then make it your world. Do that and you would have a tiny glimpse of what life is like with the Lord.

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

The New Covenant Church

http://www.thenewcovenantchurch.com/

<))))><

Monday the 19th

John 6: ²⁷Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."  ²⁸Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"  ²⁹Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.

 

We all go to different churches, we all have subtleties that make one church a little different from the next. The one thing we all have in common is to go out and do the work that God requires….and just what is that? Well Christ himself tells us right here…..believe in the one He has sent. Not go out and spread what we think our church means, but go out and preach Christ crucified!  We of faith are sometimes our own worst enemy, we get so far into the trees we cannot see the forest that surrounds us. The last study that was done on Christianity asked a very important question. What keeps you from being a Christian….any guess what the answer was?? Christians! When we look at the life of Christ we see love, all too often when we look at the works of some Christians  we see harshness. When we think of the life of Christ we think compassion, yet all to often we show more indifference than compassion. Christ set out to change the world by being a living example, so why do we so often condone the spread of Christianity by the use of bibles for clubs? What is the work that God requires? It is a very simple message, one that we should have no problem relaying to others. It is not what day we go to Church, it is not how often we celebrate the Lord’s supper, or what prayers you say,  and it is certainly not how many people we can get to come to Christ by hook or crook. It is all about the fact that God sent His only Son to hang on a cross, then defeat death, so that we all might have eternal life. That message will never come across clearly or convincingly, if we cannot learn to be living examples of the One living example. We serve the living God, our purpose is simple and clear, believe in the Lord, and let that belief sine into every corner of your life. So that you might radiate the love, the compassion, and the true concern for others that Christ so effortlessly graced this world with. This is our true work, this is our calling, let your belief be your calling card.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

The New Covenant Church

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

<))))><

 

 

 

Friday the 16th

Acts 5: ³⁸Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. ³⁹But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.

 

Let it run it’s course…..what great advise. How often that simple advise seems so hard to take. Have you ever stopped to think whom you might be fighting against when you are trying so hard to make something happen? Folks, guess what? You can’t stop God. If it is His will nothing in this world can change the outcome. Oh we might alter the path, we might make it drag out longer than it has to, but God’s will always comes through, and if it is not God’s will, all of the effort in the world will not sustain it. We read a lot in the bible about waiting, be still and see the great things the Lord will do, Jesus talks about 12 hours of daylight, Jesus deliberately waits before going to Lazarus. There is little doubt that God works on His own time table and it is typically much slower than ours.  I would think that one of the biggest hurdles that we as humans have to clear is learning patience. I don’t know about you, but man I hate waiting. I feel like I am wasting my time, sitting around waiting, watching, thinking, getting irritated that things are not moving fast enough…….but maybe that is not the problem, maybe the problem is that I am trying to move to fast, maybe I have been looking at it all wrong, and maybe, just maybe, the time that I am given should be used for something other than staring at the goal and hoping it moves closer to me. Maybe just as Gamaliel points out in this scripture, I should be watching to see where God is directing me to go. Maybe God is telling me that I need to watch and see what is crumbling around me, and what is withstanding the test of time. Perhaps things are moving slower than I would like, because I have a pretty good record of making the wrong choices when things are speeding towards me. I am sure in the end it comes down to realizing that I have spent more time fighting God than I have spent searching for where He needs me to go. Maybe I would not be so tired if I spent less time fighting, and more time praying?

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

The New Covenant Church

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

<))))><

 

 

 

Thursday the 15th

Matthew 14:  ²⁹"Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" ³¹Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

 

Why do we doubt? Whenever I read this I think how it reflects our spiritual life. When we first start following Christ we are surrounded by others in our boat. They support us, they teach us, they give us the confidence we need as we drink the milk of faith. Yet the time comes when we must move from the milk to the meat. We hear the Lord calling us to step out of our comfort of the boat, and go out into the world…..we have to step out onto the water and start moving towards the Lord. Just like Peter we can hear the Lord, in many ways we too can see him right there in front of us, arms outstretched and waiting……and just like Peter we start looking around, we see the waves of the world eager to swallow us up, we feel the winds beat at our face, and we worry that we might be blown away from the Lord…..and then we look down….and we notice that we are starting to sink. It is at that moment we make one of the most important choices in our life. Do we cry out for the Lord to save us, or do we allow ourselves to sink into the sea of the world? One might think it is an easy choice to make, but I can tell you, many choose to sink over cry out. Why would they do that? Honestly it has to do with effort….or lack of it. When Christ reaches out for Peter, the first thing He points out is the little amount of faith that Peter has at that moment…you of little faith…..and this is what I mean by effort. For us to stay above the water, it takes effort, for us to keep our faith strong we must continue to search out the meat. We must feed on the truth of the Lord. Many of us….without evening really thinking about it I might add, quit looking for the meat of the Word. We say things like well, I have learned all I can learn, or I am far enough along in my faith that I am safe, my favorite is I already know the Lord. Well, I would like to point our Peter knew the Lord pretty well, and yet he stumbled! Without putting much thought into it at all we allow the devil to convince us that our journey has ended, or at least slowed. That somehow, for some reason, we don’t have to search out the Lord as hard anymore. That could not be further form the truth! Now more then ever is the time to put your full measure into searching out the Lord, finding the path that He has for you, and making sure your feet are firmly planted on it! Do not allow the waves that crash, and the wind that blows to distract you and scare you. Don’t fall victim to the false belief that somehow you are done, or you have arrived. CRY OUT to the Lord, and he will catch you. Just like He did for Peter, He will pull you up and to safety. If you want to defeat the wind and the waves, if you want to keep yourself above water, then take the hand that the Lord has expended. You will find it far more comforting, that the comfort you felt in your boat. You will find more peace, more direction, more grace, more love, than you ever did when your feet were dry. Just remember, to reflect often to make sure you are focused on the Lord, make the choice to not sink!

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

The New Covenant Church

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

<))))><

 

 

 

wed the 14th

John 3: ²⁰Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. ²¹But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

 

We all know John 3:16 and that God loves us so much that He sent His only Son. We forget sometimes how often John refers to Christ as the light. How true that fact is. To live a life in Christ is to live a life out in the open, exposed for all to see. When we think about it that way then look at our lives do we not find that we still have shadows in our life that we still clink away to? I think of my young life, when I was running as fast in the opposite direction from God as I could……you know I LOVED the darkness back then. The daylight was something to be tolerated until the shadows of the evening would start to stretch across the ground. It was not just the physical darkness that I enjoyed, but the darkness that comes with secrecy. The back room deals, the under the table dealings, the half truths, and the outright lies….the deception for personal gain….I have to admit I was quite good at it. When I think of that time in my life I always think of what Spurgeon said. I know that the Lord must have chosen me before I was born, because I gave little reason for him to choose me after. Of course my life is much different now, and I do try to live in the light, but when I read this last part of verse 20 I still think I must still struggle…..do you?…..for fear that his deeds will be exposed…..for I still get that tingle in the pit of my stomach when I am called on the carpet, what about the conversations that we have with people….what if they were all exposed….did I give the extra nickel back to the cashier when she made a mistake What about resentment?…..how much of that do we hold on to???? Oh sure, you might think well those don’t count….they are just little things…..but guess what, there are no little things to God. He hates the sin of the liar as much as the murder, He despises the sin of the gossip, as much as the thief. God hates all sin. It is the thought that it is just “small sin”, that allows the shadows to creep back into the edges of your life. May we all continue to drive the shadowed corners out of our life, may we all strive to let the truth and the light of Christ wash over us and illuminate our lives like the sun, casting all shadows and darkness out of our existence, so that it may be seen plainly that what we have done has been done through God. Amen

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<))))><

 

 

 

Tuesday the 13th

John 16:  ³³"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

 

Here is Christ telling His disciples that he will be taken away, but will return. He tells them so that they might have peace, but notice He does not just tell them “hey don’t worry about it, I will leave, then return. He is telling them look things are changing, and they will never be the same again…know this, while I will be with you and give you peace……in this world you will have trouble. Not maybe, not possibly, not some of you……but He was telling them that they all would have trouble, life would be challenging, life would be tough, and it might seem at times unfair, but to remember Christ had overcome the world. If Christ could overcome the world, then how could anyone who followed Christ not find peace? How could they doubt the love God has for them, how could they worry about small troubles, when the Prince of Peace had endured, and conquered troubles far larger than any we might encounter. It all comes down to where we operate from. Christ wished for us to live with peace in our hearts, and that is where we have to start. We have to go out into he world with peace. I lived many years of my life angry, I did not realize it at the time, but looking back, I can see that anger was the driving force in my day. I know that some of you know exactly what I am talking about, and some of us still operate from a place of anger today. We are angry that we want more and cannot have it, angry that our lives have not become what we planned, angry that others have what we want. We have to learn to first go to Christ with our anger. Take it to Him, bare your soul to Him, allow Him to remove that anger and replace it with peace…..yeah, I know, sounds to easy, what is the catch right? There is no catch, all you have to do is ask Him to take it. Not only will the Lord remove it from you, but He will replace it with peace. The peace that only He can give, the peace that He wished for His disciples, and the peace that he wishes for each one of us. Take heart, life will get tough, but He has over come the world, so that we might all live, and operate form a place of peace!

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<))))><

 

 

 

Monday the 12th

Judges 7: ² The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her.

You know, all too often I get down on myself. I look around and think I don’t have enough friends, there is not enough support….I don’t have a large enough group of people in my life to be successful or make a difference….sound familiar? We often look to those around us for the strength, and support that is freely given by God. When I read the story of Gideon I always think, “man, what else could you possibly need other than God? Think about this setting. Who else in your life would look at a situation like this and say hey…..you know what….you have to many people here, get rid of some of them so that we might be successful, and I can do my work. You do not need to be surrounded by people for support, you need to be surrounded by God! Let those around you be there to give the glory to God, and let God worry about the victory. When we try to stack up people around us to advance a goal, we find that those most willing to be with us, especially on a professional level, seem to all have something to gain by being next to us. Yet when we rely on God for our victory, He brings people to us that have the correct goal in mind….advancing the Word of God. It is when we rely of God fully, that we can truly experience full victory over any challenge in our lives. When we surround ourselves with those eager to serve us, we find ourselves in the company of the deceived. When we surround ourselves with God we find ourselves in the company of greatness. No matter the battle, no matter the size or scope of the obstacle in front of you, do not look to count the number of people next to you, look to make sure that the Holy Spirit is out in front leading, that God is in your heart and on your lips, and check to make sure that Christ is walking alongside of you. When you find yourself in that company, you find that it is the only company that you require…..the rest is just extra!

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

The New Covenant Church

http://www.thenewcovenantchurch.com/

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Friday the 9th

1 Samuel 12: ¹⁶ "Now then, stand still and see this great thing the LORD is about to do before your eyes!

 

 

Living in expectation…..stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do! Did you know that the Lord does great things in your life everyday? Oh he does, I promise he does, all too often we are just to busy to see it, or too selfish to acknowledge that it is the Lord that has brought favor to us. As a result we often end up living well short of the fullness that the Lord has to offer. Here in this scripture we see the Lord about to bring the rain. Now imagine that feeling that everyone within earshot of Samuel must have felt. You know of what I speak. It is that tingle in the pit of your stomach, that rush of anticipation. Stand still and see this great thing. Form the moment that the words are spoken to the moment the event happens…that feeling of expectation is electrically charged with the power of the Lord! We should awake with that feeling every morning!  We should kick in the door of the morning with the expectation that we cannot wait to see the great things that the Lord will do in our life! If we train ourselves to look for them, we will see that the Lord showers us with blessings, big and small, each and everyday. When we open our eyes and start the day, that is the first blessing in and of itself….yet another day to go out and proclaim in word and deed our faith in God, and His Son Jesus Christ. You have not even put a foot on the ground and the blessings have already started! Sure you can allow yourself to be pulled under by the world, you can greet the day with the same feeling a lot of people do…..”uggghh, I hope I survive this day”, or maybe your morning prayer is “Lord, just get me through the day” but I encourage each one of you to change that starting today. Instead of trying to get by, start living in the blessings that God puts before you. Instead of hoping that the day goes OK….expect it to be better than yesterday, expect to see the beauty, and the love of God surround you, expect to see the blessings that God will lay along your path throughout the day. Make it a point to take the time to acknowledge the great accomplishments, the little battles won, the simplicity of a strangers smile, and the warm kiss from a loved one for what they all are great things from the Lord. May we all learn to stand still and see the great thing the Lord is about to do before our eyes!

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

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Thursday the 8th

Acts 3:   ¹²When Peter saw this (people astonished at the healing of a beggar), he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?

 

How did he do that???? Even today we ask that question. Sickness healed, life’s needs met even when all looks lost……How did that happen? We look to the answers that the world would have us believe….”well he was lucky”…..or “nothing was really wrong to begin with” …or maybe even “they were given something they did not deserve”……and perhaps that is the correct answer! Why would we be astonished at any great feat being accomplished? Is not our God the God of the living? Have we not been told that He will sustain us, and never forsake us? Have we not be promised that through our faith, we would be rewarded with more than we deserve? These things happen because God is in the middle of it all! There is nothing that happens that God’s hand is not on. It is not because of any of our greatness that these things happen, it is because of the Love God has for us. That love is transferred to each of us, and we are encouraged….no we are commanded to go out and spread that love. The Lord used the Apostles to accomplish great things. By their faith in the risen King they lived spectacular, spiritually filled lives, carrying out the Lord’s work. You might think “well that was the Apostles, not me”. To that I must disagree. Within each of us is the power to accomplish great things in the name of Jesus Christ. Each day lends us the opportunity to go out and make a difference in others lives. It should not seem foreign to us, yet I can promise you it will seem foreign to the world! Through the power of Christ you may not heal a beggar physically (not saying you won’t), but you can heal them spiritually, and emotionally….when the world sees that changed person you will hear that all familiar question….how did he do that? Feel free to ask the same question asked so long ago…….why does this surprise you? Let them know that it is the Lord that heals us all!

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

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wed the 7th

Acts 1: ⁷He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.

 

It is not for you to know….If I had a dollar for every time I said I do not know…..I would be a very rich man indeed! And if I became rich form that….well I still would not know! This is a concept that we as Christians sometimes struggle with, no matter how hard you study, no matter how hard you pray, no matter what you do…..some things are just not for us to know. That is what our faith is for. Saying that we do not know when Christ will come back, or when we will die, or what the future holds….this is not an admission of ignorance, it is a profession of faith! For us the statement is not simply that we do not know, it is that we do not know, but we are sure that the Lord will direct us, and guide us. It is the simple act of doing exactly what the world tells us not to do, we trust in God. The world would have you believe that we MUST know the answers, we must live our life in search of what they call the truth….however we already have the truth, He lives inside of us everyday. The world will shout to trust yourself, or trust in man….I do not know about you, but that never really worked out for me very well. Come to find out, I do not always have the best sense of direction, and as for mankind…..well many around me would / have tried to lead me down in to their service if I was to trust only them. I have learned to live with my I don’t know box, honestly I find comfort in knowing it is there. We simply will never know all that we want, but we can know the One who knows all!  We will never fully see where we are going, but we can trust in the One who has the map. We might not ever know the time or the dates of life changing events…but we can have a close personal relationship with the watch maker. Follow the Holy Spirit, rely on Christ, and trust in the authority of God, the Father.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

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Tuesday the 6th

John 20: ⁶Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, ⁷as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen.

 

I love this part of the Scripture in John. Notice that John makes a point to notice that the cloth around Christ’s head was folded up and separate. Most read over this and don’t give it a second thought, but this small detail reminds me of a custom of the time that most have forgotten about. When the master of a house excused himself from the table during dinner, the servants paid attention to the masters cloth. If he crumpled it up, and put it in the middle of the plate it meant that he was not coming back (many of us do this at restaurants today to show that we are done eating) but if he folded that cloth, and set it to the side, then the servant knew that the master was coming back, he was not done. Here in this scripture we see that the cloth was folded and set to the side….our Master was not done, He was going to return, there was still work to be done. That linen is still folded today, there is still work to be done, and our Master is still set to return. He has put us in charge of carrying out His work until He returns again. There is no doubt that it is a long row to hoe, but as my Father always told us, “it will never get done, if you don’t start” And start we must. Through the direction of the Holy Spirit, the strength found in Christ, and the Love of God, each one of us will find the path we need to take, it might not be a smooth path, and the journey might be a long one, but we will persevere, we will overcome, and we will be successful. The cloth is still folded, and we await the Masters return, but there is much still to do. As we continue through this Easter season, on our way to Pentecost Sunday, let us each resolve to start down the path, the journey might be long, but it must be started if we are to finish.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

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Monday the 5th

John 20:  ¹⁹On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"

 

Peace be with you! I think of how this must have played out….then I realize this is EXACTLY how Christ works. Imagine the setting, the disciples had to of been at their lowest point in their life, the Man that they had spent over three years following now was gone…and how human of them! Yes, Christ had told them all He was leaving, but would return. Yet Here we find them huddled in fear wondering what to do next. In walks Christ….Peace be with you! Does He ask them what’s wrong? Does he chide them for fearing when He had given reassurances that He would be back? No, Christ knows us, He knows us better than we know ourselves. I am sure that He was not surprised to find them locked up in a room, just like He understands when He finds us cowering in a corner. Christ did not admonish, He reassured…Peace be with you. That is what He does to this day, and I am sure will continue to do. He comes to us at our hour of need, and fortifies our faith. He understands our fears, and our weaknesses, and does not hold them against us. We all go through our tests of faith, we all sometimes feel like the rug has been yanked out form underneath us. We all feel lost, and out of sorts…..maybe you are feeling like that now. Let us continue to celebrate the joy of Easter, and our risen King. Let us allow Him into our hearts fully, and completely, let us accept the peace that only HE can bring, so that our doors might become unlocked, and our fears become quiet. Christ is with us always, especially in our hour of need…..”peace be with you”  Seize that peace, rend your heart to the Lord, and set out into the world knowing the we are more than conquerors, we are brothers, and sisters of Christ, and children of the Most high God.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

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Good Friday

John 19 : ¹⁷Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). ¹⁸Here they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

 

As I woke this morning all I could think about was Christ carrying his cross, and I think of Matthew 10 where Christ says “³⁸and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” I think of how heavy the physical, and Spiritual cross of Christ was, then I feel so weak and selfish when I think how I grumble under the weight of my light and insignificant cross. As if I have reason to complain!  I think of the pain, the brutality that Christ endured today. The beatings, the insults, the pain of the nails, the slow death,  the humiliation the Christ suffered without question, without blaming anyone, without anger, or malice. He bore it all majestically, even at His lowest he was truly the King.   Then I reflect on how I grumble when I feel I am treated poorly, or look to find someone to blame, or become hot headed because of a situation I find myself in. I think of these times in my life this morning, and feel move to tears of shame. Then I think of the man on the cross next to Christ. The man that deserved to be hanging, next to the man who never deserved an ounce of pain dealt to Him. I think of Christ telling that man, “today you will be with me in paradise” and I realize, I am that man next to Christ. I am the man that deserves death for the life I have lived, I am that liar, that thief, that blasphemer, Yet I see Christ’s face and I hear his voice and I know that because of Christ’s love, and forgiveness for me, I too will join Him in paradise. This man, the Son of God, the human who endured more pain that I ever will, who suffered more humiliation that I could stand, who gave His life even for those that might still turn their back on Him….through all of this Christ still has more love in His heart, than I dare say I will ever have in my entire life. At the end of His human life His last request was for forgiveness for a world that does not know what they do. It is that forgiveness that sets me free, it is that love that heals this old sinners heart. SO here I sit on this Good Friday, and openly weep. I weep for the death of a man that did not deserve to die, and I weep for the forgiveness of a world that certainly deserves death. It is a debt that I can never repay, an honor that I did not work for, and it is a blessing that I do not deserve. May we all proclaim Glory, Honor, and Praise to God Almighty!

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

The New Covenant Church

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

<))))><

 

 

 

Thursday the 1st

Isaiah 61: ¹ The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.

 

Jesus read this text while teaching at the synagogue, then after he was finished Luke Chapter 4 recorded Him as ²⁰Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, ²¹and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."  Today is the day of the last supper, Holy Thursday….the last day Christ will walk as a free man on this earth. But look at what Christ came to do, Preach the good news to the poor, mend the broken hearted, free the captives, and release from darkness the prisoners…the King James is even more detailed The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. In short Christ is here to set us free.  We were poor in Spirit, but now we are rich in the Lord, our hearts were broken by this world, but Christ heals that heart with salvation, and forgiveness, We were captives to our sin, and He has set us free. We were blind to the Love, Hope, forgiveness, and compassion, of the Lord, but He gives us our sight so that we might see the beauty, and promise that is found in the ever-living Lord.  This is it…..the beginning of the events that will forever change the face of this world. It is the beginning of events that were carried out for you, for that is how much God loves you.  Let this weekend serve as not just a remembrance of Christ’s triumph over death, let it serve as a remembrance of Your victory over sin! If this is your first Easter, your second Easter, or on in a long line of years spent with the Lord, let it serve as a platform to launch your faith to the next level.  Gather your family around and honor the King of King and Lord of Lords, don’t allow this weekend to pass as some commercial holiday. Hold it in your heart, share it with your family, and shout it from the mountain tops. This weekend we remember that by the death of Christ we are given life, by His resurrection, we are given eternity. Be blessed, bless those around you, and have a Happy, joyful, and faith filled weekend. Give thanks and praise to the Lord, for on Sunday we will proclaim,  HE HAS RISEN!

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

The New Covenant Church

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

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