Thursday the 24th

Psalm 103: ¹³ As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.

 

 

The Father has compassion for his children, and our Father has compassion on each of us. This is a huge promise form God. Compassion, mercy, forgiveness, we get that from the Lord. It is written as “for those who fear Him” Important thing to point out here. Everyone sees the word fear, and point out why should we fear a loving God. While God’s power, is enough to provoke fear, awe, and humbleness form everyone. Fear in this case is more of a moral fear. The Hebrew word used is yare’ (can’t reproduce all of the pronunciation marks) this word means fearing, or morally reverent. So in today’s vernacular it might not make sense to fear one that offers so much compassion, it makes perfect sense to respect the moral base of the one that the compassion flows from. So the Lord offers us compassion like our earthly fathers (and mothers) offer us. Ahh but some might say “Brian, you don’t know my parents. If that is the kind of compassion that the Lord is offering, then I am not interested.” And I would say I understand and agree completely. However, if your parents show little compassion, you should know that there is no amount too great that the Lord will show you. If you think no one can match up to your parents, then you sell our Lord short. There is no comparison that can be made to the amount of mercy that Lord shows us. There is no limit to the distance that the Lord can reach out, accept you back, and lavish His loving mercy, and compassion upon you. While our parents here on earth might have a breaking point, God has no such boundary. Once you realize just how special, just how important, you are to the Lord, then you can see how important it is to reach out to others, and offer the same. I would even go as far as to say that if you find yourself stingy with your love and your mercy, it is because you have not accepted how much God is willing to pour out into your life. You see, this is the beginning point. At a time when we least deserved His love, at a point in time when we least deserved His mercy, He gave us what was most dear to Him. In return He asks us to go out and live that life, show the world His love through our actions. There is nothing to fear, there is nothing to hold back. God has more than enough in store for each and everyone of us. Give that mercy, give that compassion! Live your life out loud! Live it knowing that His mercy is more than enough! 

 

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com

 

Tuesday the 22nd

1 Corinthians 2: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” the things God has prepared for those who love him.

 

It is quite easy to become pre occupied with what we do not have. I have talked to some people for whom it is gone to a level of obsessive ness. “I don’t have this, I need that, I want the other thing, and I need it now”. Did you know that you have the one and only thing that you need every morning when you wake up? You carry it with you each day, and it is with you when you lay your head down on your pillow at night. You have the love of God. Each and every one of us has it, and it comes to us undeserved, un requested, and often, unappreciated. Yet He showers us with it daily. I say it is all you need because love will be the only thing that our soul takes when we leave this world. God’s love will be our transport. All of the things you never received, all of the things you never acquired, all of the things that you chased while you lived your earthly life, will mean nothing when you close your eyes for the final time. It will all be nothing more than dust. So if we can’t do much with it after this life, then why focus so much on it now?  Now don’t get me wrong, we all like stuff, but what we have to remember is We have what we need, and in this scripture Paul reminds us what is in store for us. We cannot conceive what God has prepared for us. It is so much, it is so awesome, it is so unbelievable, that we cannot imagine it. Think about that. Think of the happiest you have been, the most content, the most secure….and then multiply that by a million. Hard to imagine huh? That is what God has in store for you….and the best part? It is already yours! With God’s love comes the promise of love, of peace, of contentment, forgiveness, and rest….not just here, but in the life to come. So much more so then that we cannot conceive it! Don’t worry about what you don’t have today, for God has plenty in store for you. Don’t wake up and chase the world. Wake up and chase God. You have His love, you have His grace, His forgiveness, and His peace, what else could you need for this life? You are promised more than you can imagine, why waste time on the temporary, when you are offered the eternal?

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com

 

Monday the 21st

2 Corinthians 5: ⁷ For we live by faith, not by sight.

 

It was a pretty junky weekend for me this weekend. We had some family issues come up that tend to wear down your spirit, and make it very hard to see any type of path, meaning, or rational understanding of the things you see in front of you.  In short the way the world looks, makes you feel defeated, hopeless, and lost. It is this simple scripture that keeps me sane during times like this.  We live by faith. The world looks crazy, but I have faith that there is a plan, my life looks hopeless, yet faith tells me that there is hope in endless supply. You can’t understand why these things happen, you can’t understand what purpose they serve, but faith reminds us that God has a plan. He is working for the good, even when times seem so bad. It is faith that pulls us through the fire, over the obstacle, and into the next season. Faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain, while sight will tell you it can’t be done. And there is the sweetness of our Lord, and savior. It is not the things we can see that matter, for nothing is impossible for our God. If we live by sight, we have lost before we begin. The world is full of can’t and won’t. Thos words are not in Gods vocabulary. There is nothing that God can’t do, there is nothing that God won’t do for you. There is little doubt that we all go though times where life looks bleak. The road is hard to see, it is bumpy, and it is full of sharp turns. The fog of the world rolls in, and seeing beyond the end of your nose is an impossible task. It is during those moments, that we are reminded that we do not need sight to navigate. It is then that we must close our eyes, and take that next step, not because we can see where we are going, but because we have an unshakeable faith in the Lord that He will set your foot solidly down on the right path, and He will continue to do that for you with each step you take in faith. Yes this world goes crazy from time to time, it gets our of hand, and nothing makes sense. Quit looking at the world and trying to live my sight. Make the next step you take, a step of faith. Live your life with the faith of the Lord in your heart, and know that even in your darkest hour, you can have faith that the Lord is working to cast out the shadows. In the roughest of storms, God is coming with a calming word, and in the confusion of the world, God has the plan, the message, and the direction, that will cut through the impossible things you see, to make them possible. Live by faith, and live the life that God intends for you, it is a life free of doubt, and full of grace. 

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com

 

Wednesday the 16th

Isaiah 40:29  " He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak "

 

Strength to the weary and power to the weak. Man I could use some of that! Couldn’t you? We all struggle with the same issues, we all face the same fears. Yes some have it better, some have it worse, but they are all the same problems. We are not good enough, we don’t have the energy, we can’t find the energy to continue to fight, basically  we don’t have enough of what we need, and too much of what we don’t! So we feel like we are drowning, we feel like we are in over our heads, and out of control. You know what? That is OK. There is an old saying: if you think you are crazy, then you are not crazy, because if you were crazy you would think you were normal. Believe me that is a very true statement. I have seen it first hand. The same can be said about our spiritual struggles. When we are aware that we are struggling, when we are painfully aware that we feel like we are failing, then you can bet that you are not. You are simply being reminded that it is time to get back to the Lord. It is when those around you can see you spiraling out of control, and you think that life is just great, that you need to worry! It is during these time of struggle that we need to remember this scripture. You need strength? You need more power, not enough go-go juice to get through the day? Ask for it! Of course it takes a little more than that, it takes faith. Like I so often say, when you pray for rain, you better carry an umbrella. If you ask for the strength to make it through, you have to have the faith that He will deliver. You have to KNOW that God is there for you. So if you want the strength, expect the strength, and second, you have to give Him what you want to get rid of. If you want room for the blessing, you have to make room. You have to throw out some of the junk you are holding on to…..like that anger, that frustration, that impatience. Le tit go. And I do mean let it go. Give it to God, and turn it loose. You can’t ask Him to fix something, then keep your hands on it. You have to trust that HE will take your problems, and give you the strength to carry on. Take the blessing, leave the pain. Yes it is hard to do. It is hard to believe that something in your life can be fixed without you right in the middle of it, but it can. God has put things in place that are in the process of taking care of you. Will you get out of the way to let Him work? God is ready with a full fuel cell for your spirit, will you make the room for it in your heart?  HE has the strength and the power waiting in the wings, waiting for you to ask, and expect it. Take it, and leave the other.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com

 

Tuesday the 15th

Matthew 11: ²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

 

As you drive down any highway one thing you can count on seeing are rest stops. They dot our highways throughout this country. One of the biggest mistakes that drivers make is driving too far without resting. You have to rest, your body needs a chance to move, get the blood flowing again, and process something other than the black top with the yellow and white lines. We do the same thing on our spiritual journey. We charge ahead everyday, and we become tired, we get worn down, and our souls need time to recover, it needs to feed on something other than the steady diet of the world that it gets fed. This is what Jesus is promising here…..rest. Here again, just like yesterday, this is a promise, not a recommendation. Show up, bring yourself to Christ Jesus, and you will receive rest. Carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders? Stop and drop it off with Christ. You will receive rest. Feel like the world is out to get you, like the wolf is howling at the door, and circling the house? Head to Christ, you will receive rest. Have you ever felt like you just can’t take another step? Like you have worked yourself to the bone, and you get home and fall into your favorite chair. Man! That feeling of comfort, that release of the day……that is a feeling that is hard to match. Do the same for your soul. Christ is your soul’s recliner, He is your weary body’s masseur, and your broken spirits elixir. There is no need to drag your way through life, stop off and get the rest that you need. When we refuse to stop, when we refuse to take a break, it is easy to become hypnotized by the world, it becomes easier for the devil to find a foot hold, it becomes easier to stumble, and not want to get back up. Let Jesus take your burden, allow Him to reach in and rejuvenate your soul. Accept the rest that is so freely given, then head back out on to the road of life, rested, unburdened, and free of the chains of this world.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com

 

Monday the 14th

Luke 6: ³⁸ Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

 

We talked about God’s promises this past Sunday. I wanted to take a verse or two this week and drill down on a few of those promises.

 

Charity, and blessings. If you want them, you need to start handing them out. This is not just a good idea, something to do in your spare time, or something that will make you look good in the public eye. This is a promise from God, delivered by His Son in person. Jesus is telling us give and it will be given to you. Of course not just given to you, not a little, not enough to get by, not a smidge. No that is not the way God works, He does not do half way! It will be a good measure! It will be pressed down. Have you ever filled a measuring cup with flour, or butter? You can fill a cup rather quickly, but there is a lot of air in there, you have pockets of space that are not used. Well the Lord is telling you that when He measures that blessing out, he is going to measure it, then press it down! No space unfilled, no gap left unfilled. He is going to pack it down, shake it and then as if that were not enough, he is going to run it over to the point of overflow, then He is going to dump it in your lap! More than you need, more than you asked for. Then all He asks is that you take it, and do the same. Pour out that blessing onto the world in front of you. You will have plenty to share, because you were given more than you need. Grace, peace, love, joy, forgiveness, protection all of these things are heaped upon you so that you might go out and offer the same in the name of God. All the Lord wants to see, is that you hav3e tried to get rid of everything He gave you. Of course you will never pull it off, but I can think of worse was to spend my days than trying to bless others beyond the point that I have been blessed. This is a promise from God. If you want the blessing, give it away, if you want more than what you have, you have to clear out what you have to make room for the next round. Make good on the promise. Start today. If you have it give it. I know in these times money is a hard thing to come by, but I know that God has blessed us all with more than worldly riches. Give freely what you have been given, give what you have, then be ready to see the Lord in action, prepare to be blessed.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com

 

Thursday the 10th

Romans 10: ¹⁴ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ¹⁵ And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

 

Paul outlines the problem that many have in this Country today. How can they believe if they have not heard? As I see my children grow, and I listen to their desire, and the desire of their friends to leave behind religion, while clinging tightly to faith, I realize……there are a lot of people who have not heard…..they have not heard the truth anyway. They have heard that “you can’t dress this way”, “you can’t do this, and you can’t do that”, and “you can’t listen to that”, and “you have to do this”. “You have to be here, wear this, say this phrase exactly as you have been taught, and stay here for this long”……..You see they have heard the religion…….but they have not heard the Faith. They have heard the rules, but they have not heard the true full story of the loving, saving, undeserved, yet freely given gift that is Jesus Christ……and how can they, if no one is preaching it? We have a very real risk of becoming just like the Jewish leaders in the time of Christ. We become so focused on the “laws” that we miss the savior. Where the Jews of the day were so immersed in the law that they could not recognize Christ. Many today as so immersed in the Law, that they confuse the law with the way to Christ. They start to believe that the Law is not a way to show our love for God, but it is the way in and of itself to get to the Lord. So how do we change that? How do we keep the fire of Christ burning above the law for all to see? Well I am glad you asked, because that is where you come in! How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news! What good news? The good news of the risen King! The good news of salvation that has been secured by the death and resurrection of Jesus. Take that message, and run with it! Each one of us is called to preach on some level. Yes, even you. It is up to us to not just fellowship in our churches where we feel safe.  Those feet are bringing the good news…that means they are traveling! How can we fight the over legalization of our faith, how can we fight against the false prophets, who preach for their personal gain, how can we impact the world, if we refuse to leave our houses, Churches, and neighborhoods? There are many out there that cannot believe because they have not heard. They have heard what they can’t do, let us tell them what they can. They have seen what they are to fear, let us show them what the reward is, they have felt the sting of hypocrisy, and scorn, let us show them the love, the forgiveness, the grace, and the peace that is Jesus Christ. To quote St. Francis of Assisi, Preach the Gospel, use words if necessary. Show them, show the world, and let them be drawn to the Good news that you carry.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com

 

Tuesday the 8th

Proverbs 16: ³ Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.

 

Commit to the Lord, and He will establish. Two big words there commit, and establish. If we put the effort into our part, the Lord will come through in spades. But notice that the action, the work, the first step, comes from us. Commit what we do to the Lord. Commit. not promise, not think about, not intend to, or just associate with. Commit what we do to the Lord. Commit, as in "all in". When we commit something to memory, it is not just there for a day or two, it stays with us. When we commit to a project we sign up for the duration. It is very much like the chicken and the pig when it comes to breakfast…… The chicken is associated, the pig is committed. So we have to ask ourselves are we committing our tasks, our undertakings, our very lives to the Lord? If you want to be successful in this life and the next then the answer is a resounding yes! Now let me be clear here. Fully committing to the Lord will not make you perfect, it will not mean that you will do, or that you have to do everything perfect. You won’t, more to the point you can’t. The Lord knows that. Intent goes a long way with the Lord. Are you making the effort? And if you are, do you know what God will do for you? He will establish your plans. Here again that big word establish. Do you understand the difference between established plans, and new plans? The difference between establish, and prepare, or even hope? When God establishes something, it is done. It is fulfilled, it is permanent. The world cannot change it, the world cannot take it away. A plan that is established by God, already has all of the key players in place, lined out, and ready to roll. It is there for you to seize, in the name of the Lord. You will be successful, why, because when you are committed to the Lord, He is successful when you are successful! You are successful when you are with the Lord. See the connection? Your plans will not just be dreams, they will not just be hopes, they will be established. I want you to think of that just for a moment. Your plans will be established. Why would you not want that? Who would not want that? And here it is, just waiting for you to grab it, this is the moment, the point in time where you define the moment or it defines you. Will you commit to the Lord whatever you do? Grab the success, grab the promise, accept the grace and the peace. Commit to the Lord, and see His commitment to you overflow your cup.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com

 

Monday the 7th

1John 4: ⁴ You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

 

The One in you is greater…….You know…I think we all forget that time to time. The times when I am tired, the times when I feel weak, the times when life is looking pretty bleak. You know, you get down far enough, and you feel pretty alone….and when you are there…..well the devil has you just where he wants you. It is during those times that we start to think, “well why not, everyone else does it”…the easy way start looking like a pretty good path to follow. Maybe following that path is not such a bad thing, it is just my life right? I am only hurting myself……..That could not be further form the truth. It is in those moments that we must realize that there is far more at stake than just ourselves. We are now part of a family, we each have the Lord dwelling inside of us. We don’t just hurt ourselves, we drag our brothers, and sisters down with us, worse than that but did Jesus not tell us that whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you have done for me? Are we not siblings of Christ? If we allow ourselves to be dragged down by the world, then aren’t we letting the world try and drag Christ down as well? This attitude that tries to permeate our lives is an attitude of defeat. Folks, the Lord cannot be defeated, and if He dwells in each one of us, (and I assure you He does) then we cannot be overcome, as a matter of fact we share in the victory that the Lord already declared. So in that perspective, it is no longer a question of why me, but why not me? It is not a matter of what is everyone else doing, it is follow me I know the was! How can the victorious become the defeated? How can the One who has planned it all be expected to follow anything other than the master plan? Theses are things that cannot happen to the Lord, and if the Lord is in each one of us then it cannot happen to us…..unless we invite it! We have to give up, we have to give that power that lives inside of us away, we have to cover the candle with a bowl. Start to live a life of expectation! Seize the victory that has been given to you, declare that victory to the world. We are not of this world, but we must live here. Let the world know that you claim your rightful place within the family to the Lord. You cannot be overcome, you cannot be defeated, you cannot simply follow the heard. The One in you is far greater than the world, as a result, you overcoming the world is not a possibility, it is not a might happen, or a hopefully will happen, it is a guarantee, a promise form the most high God….it is a vow from a Father to His child. Lift your head to the heavens, and live like the child of God that you are, with the Lord at your side, you are unstoppable, and undefeatable. Live the victory that is Jesus Christ.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com

 

Tuesday the 1st

1 Samuel 17:  ⁴⁵ David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

 

Everyone Loves the story of David and Goliath. Who wouldn’t really….The underdog wins right? What a deal! While the story is always lauded about how you can overcome any obstacle, and in the name of the Lord, I believe that yes, you can. The story that is often missed is how David did what no one else was willing to do. The taunting by Goliath did not go on for a couple of days. It went on for weeks on end. Yet not one man among Saul’s army could find the strength in themselves, or the faith in the Lord to step out there, and fight Goliath. Saul would have had a champion, it was common during those days for an entire battle to be decided by the outcome of the champions battle. Yet Saul’s was no where to be found. Could you imagine, this champion would have been afforded the best armor, the sharpest sword, the strongest shield….yet come the day of battle he was nowhere to be found. Yet David, a simple kid, steps out onto the battlefield. Yes we would all like to be like David…..but are we willing to step out onto a battlefield that not one of our friends is willing to tread? I know that it is much easier to be like the champion that never showed. When we look at our spiritual life, we amass the best in all of our gear, the highest quality. We go after the best education we can get, we spend our time in prayer, we do everything we can to show how faithful we are…….but when Goliath shows up, it is far easier to group up with the other well trained, well armed people and talk about how Goliath should be defeated, yet we don’t want to be the one to go out and do it. It is not a knock against any of us, it is human. That is what made what David did, so amazing. It was not the fact that he killed Goliath. It is the fact that all he took out there was his faith, a sling, and a few rocks. It must have looked very much like showing up to a gunfight with a knife. Yet David knew that the Lord was with him. Don’t you just love that phrase. The Lord was with him…….and he knew it. David prayed for rain, AND he carried an umbrella! David’s prayers were not prayed for religious purposes. David prayed expecting them to be answered. David did not step out onto the battlefield worried about the outcome, he stepped out knowing that the Lord was with him, and the he would be victorious. David did not step out to spite his brothers, or to show off for Saul. David stepped out because he could not comprehend any other thing to do. Nothing else made sense. That is what it is to be David. You live your life knowing that the Lord is with you, you will step out onto the battlefield each and everyday to face Goliath, not because you have to, but because that is what you are built for. It is not a matter of beating Goliath, that part is already taken care of. It is a matter of being ready to do what no one else will do. It is not a matter of getting to Goliath, it is a matter of getting past the other Israelites! People will always tell you it can’t be done, they will want to have long talks about all of the things that might be done instead, or all of the reasons why it should not be done. Pick up your sling and head out onto the field, for the Lord is with you. Today, tomorrow, and everyday.  Shel Silverstein said it well:  Listen to Mustn’ts, child, listen to the Don’ts. Listen to the Shouldn’ts, the Impossibles, the Won’ts. Listen to the Never Haves, then listen close to me. Anything can happen, child, Anything can be. 

With the Lord at your side nothing can stop you, nothing is impossible, even slaying the giant in your life.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com