Thursday the 31st

Colossians 3: ⁸ But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

 

 

Ahhhh, and anger rears it’s ugly head once again, this time bringing along rage, malice, and slander…..and most of us think, well I do a pretty good job at controlling those. Well we all do….but then again I do a good job paying attention while I am driving, listening to other people, and handing out forgiveness……as I am sure most of you do as well. It all has one common thread. The opportunity does not arise where we have to display them under pressure, or distraction. I pay attention when I am driving…unless my cell phone rings, I always listen to what others have to say…..unless I have something major going on, and I am distracted…. I am always eager to forgive….unless someone hurt me badly….and I so a pretty good job at controlling my anger…….until someone ticks me off. Paul is warning us of a huge trap, one that we fall into all of the time. When we give into anger, rage, malice, slander, and the like, we have given someone else control over us. We have allowed someone that has come into our path the ability to dictate our emotional state. That is the problem with all of those emotions, we take the control away from God, and we place it at the feet of the person who has upset us. People are going to let you down, they will work to tear you down, they will disappoint, and they will under perform. When that happens the easiest thing in the world to do is to fly off the handle, to “lose it” if you will. Now you have a difficult situation, that has just had gasoline poured onto it…..and you are the gasoline. Anger, malice, none of it will change a thing, other than to make the situation worse. Paul also has said not to give the devil a foothold. Anger is a perfect example of a foothold. We open the door just a crack, and the devil will walk right on through. Now instead of showing the world the beauty of the Lord, we show them the foulness of the devil. We have to work everyday to choose to allow the Lord to direct our steps. We have to give Him complete faith, and control. Only then will we see anger for what it really is. A diversion, an opportunity for the devil to take control, and for us to hurt, not heal, destroy, not build, and hate, instead of love. I pray that today and each day forward we get closer to riding ourselves of these things not just most of the time, but the times when it counts!

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com

 

Tuesday the 29th

Luke 19:  ⁴⁰ “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

Jesus will not be denied! If the crowd were silenced, then the stones would cry out…….the stones…..as in the rocks. I have seen rocks talk when I was a kid on the show fraggle rock…..I have seen a plant talk in the little shop of horrors….however seeing a stone talk in real life……nope can’t say that is one I have seen, as a matter of fact if you were to ask me to make a rock speak….well I would have to tell you that it was an impossible feat. Can’t be done, no human can force life into a rock, and give it a voice……but the Lord can. Think about that one. If people can not shout Christ’s name, if the people are not allowed to give thanks to God, then fine, the rocks will do it! Rocks talking…..kinda makes you stop and think…..who are you fighting against? There is nothing that is impossible for God, yet we fight, push, struggle even claw against Him  sometimes don’t we? We feel called to go to church, but we bury our heads in the pillow, and clamp down tight, we feel the undeniable urge to stop and help the person on the side of the road, but resist, because we are in a hurry. We are being called to action in the name of God, yet we do not want to go, we run the other direction, or we keep saying “I will do it tomorrow”. We know that God has a plan for us, but we know that we will have to give up some of our worldly pleasures, we will have to change our lives, so He can change our hearts, but we dig our heels in. And the list goes on, and on, we all fight or fought on some level, at some time.  It’s hard isn’t it? It is tiring….as a matter of fact a several years ago I would say that my second job was  fighting against God’s plan for me…….and I was WORN OUT! I was tired, I had no energy, I went to bed tired, and woke up worse……sound familiar? Who are we fighting? I guess the better question is, do you really think you will win? You are up against a God so great that He can bring life to what we thought was lifeless. HE can heal the sick, give sight to the blind, cause the lame to walk….oh and did I mention He defeated death? Yet so many of us pick up our old tarnished battle armor, and taunt Him each morning. Here is an idea, why not trade in that cheap, thin, tin armor that the world gave you. It is worthless, and will not stand the test of time. Trade it in for the armor of God, we like to fight so much, why not fight for Him, instead of against Him? The strongest you will ever be, is the moment you surrender to the love of God. He will flood you with the strength of a thousand men, just ask David. No, none of us are perfect, as a matter of fact most of the people God uses are not only imperfect, but they are very well aware of just how imperfect they are! Yes, you will fit in just like one of the family. In the end there will be winners, and losers, saved, and unsaved, light, and darkness, there will be an army led by the One who causes the rocks to cry out, and there will be masses of people looking around at the talking rocks……you are either fighting for Him, or against Him…..I do not know about you, but I can’t make rocks talk…….(as my kids would say)…..just sayin’ 

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com

 

Monday the 28th

Mark 7: ³³ After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. ³⁴ He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). ³⁵ At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.

Jesus healed many people while He was here on earth. This scripture jumped out at me today, because it got me to thinking. Here we have the Christ, opening a man’s ears, and giving him his voice back. You know, Christ healed many people this way, their sight, their voice, their legs, their hearing……then if you think about all of the times that Christ spoke in parables, then would tell His disciples, if they had eyes they could see, ears they could hear…..what about tongues so they could speak, or legs so that they might walk. You see, Christ gave the people exactly what they needed to fully see just who He was. This man healed in this scripture, could hear Christ, and sing God’s praises after Christ touched his life. To those He returned their sight, they could fully see Christ for who He was, for those with their legs returned, now they could move to follow Christ more closely.  This is how Christ heals each one of us today. He heals our soul, He gives us our mouths, our sight, and our legs back, so that we might fully become a vital part of the body of Christ. How do you feel this morning? How is your soul doing?  Are you feeling a little crippled? Maybe your eyes have grown dim, it might be that you don’t hear as well as you once did, or perhaps your soul’s mouth cannot speak as clearly as it once did………Find your way to Christ, He will heal your soul, and bless your life. Just as Christ gave this man His hearing back, so too Christ will repair you. Our soul is easy to overlook, all too often it gets pushed to the side as the events of the day grind us down and wear us out. Often by the time we get around to checking on our soul, we find that it has taken quite a beating.  Call upon the Lord, He will heal, and restore your soul. When you find that it has been renewed vow to check on it daily. You will find that keeping your soul in good repair, will bring the rest of your life in to sharper focus. Allow your soul to lead, and you will be amazed at how well the body will follow. Call on Him, and be healed.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com

 

Thursday the 24th

Matthew 8: ⁸ The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

Matthew15: ²² A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”

Matthew 17: ¹⁵ “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water

 

 

To read these three passages one typically draws the conclusion that Christ rejected no on. People that might not have ever come in contact with Him came to Him for help, when no one else could.  While that is a very true statement, and certainly a good way to look at these, I want to look at it from a different perspective. The three people mentioned above in scripture, under normal circumstances, would not have sought Jesus out. It was because of a loved one that they threw to the side any of their belief and ran to the One who saves.  There was nothing that these people would not have done for the one they loved. We can all relate to that can’t we? If it was your child, if it was a person who was a big part of your life……is there any length that you would not go to save that person? Of course not, you would bend over backwards, move heaven and earth, you would beg, borrow, or maybe even steal to heal the hurt. That love, that commitment, that picture of selfless, unwavering love……that is a glimpse of the love that the Lord holds for each one of us. Our desire to heal, fix, make whole the ones we love…..that fire that burns inside of us…..magnify that by a million, and you have a small idea of the commitment that God has to you. There is nothing that the Lord will not step in and make right, there is no hurt he cannot sooth, there is no obstacle that He cannot remove. We are the afflicted ones in this story, and Christ is the one who has petitioned His Father to heal us. Heal us He will, if we will let Him. The Lord’s love for us is unimaginable, the heights He will ascend, and the depths He will go to get to us cannot be measured. That love is the driving force behind our faith.  Just like children, He loves us. Not because He has to, not because we deserve it, but because we are His children. That is what part of what Christ meant when He told us that we must be like children. We must trust like children, we must love like children, and we depend on our Father in heaven, just as a child in this world depends on their parent. Turn to Him today, give Him thanks and praise, and most of all, love Him.  When the world has made you sick, when the demons of the day have beaten, and clawed you trying to get in…..call on your Dad in heaven, there is nothing He will not do, He gave one of His children so that all would be saved, I tell you the truth, just like the people in the scripture, the Lord’s love knows no bounds.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

 

Wednesday the 23rd

Galatians 5: ⁶ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor un-circumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

 

Paul is speaking out here specifically about if one should be circumcised or not, and if that act makes you Holy. Of course today we really do not have that conversation much, and if so it is typically form a different viewpoint. However, back then, to be part of the chosen people, you had to be. There was no gray area, there was no middle ground. While that subject might not be the hot button topic of the day, take a few moments, and think about what is, then think about what Paul is preaching to us here. A few things come to mind right off the top of my head…..birth control, is it ok to drink a beer, what if you enjoy a cigar, how about the correct clothing, the correct hair, the correct food, those are the easy ones! …..the list is quite easy to populate if you think about it.  they are our circumcision today.  They are the things that keep one denomination separate from another, they are the things that some might even use as ammunition to prove that they are more holy, or righteous, or just plain better than another. Sadly, just like circumcision back then, they tear at the fabric of Christ today. Paul said it as best as it could possibly be said. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.  When Jesus defined the two most important laws He did not list them as Love God, and love your neighbor……as long as he does this, or that, or wears this, or talks like this. He instructed us to love everyone, as we love ourselves, and here is the part that is so often left off. Depending on the Gospel we are told do this and you shall live, or On these two commandments hang all of the law and prophets, or there are no greater laws. Folks,  what Christ was telling us, and Paul is reminding us, is that if we are not leading with a faith filled love, then we might as well not even start. Without love we are dead at the starting line. There is a word for what we get wrapped up in today, and there is not much love associated with it. It is legalism. It is destroyed Churches, faith, people, and most of all it has killed love. We cannot have love in our hearts if we are living with judgment leading the way for us. What I mean by that is that we cannot become the outstanding, unbelievable, undeniable super stars of Christ if we are spending our time looking for ways that we are better than the guy next to us. I want you to understand something, you have the love of God, the support of Christ, and the help of the Holy Spirit at your disposal……you are not going to get any better than that…..and if the guy next to you does not have that, then no matter what else he has or does not have is un important.  All that matters is showering him or her with the love that is so selflessly, and un-selfishly poured out upon you daily. Period, paragraph, next subject. We have to lead with love, we have to live out loud with love, we have to overflow with love, then figure out the rest. Yet so often it is the other way around is it not? We want to figure out if they deserve, or if they look like, or if they think like…..then we can love. It is all meaningless, and has no value. If you are thinking about now how hard this is starting to sound….then you are starting to get it. You see, you can’t hate someone you love, you can’t steal form someone you love, you can’t hurt someone you love……that is why Christ is telling us to love, and the rest will fall into place.  Worry about love, not who deserves it. Give it freely, give it often, it is the one commodity that you will never run out of. For every bit of love that you give away is replaced double by the Lord.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com

 

Tuesday the 22nd

Luke 16: ¹⁵ He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.

Jesus is talking to the Pharisees who were listening to Him teach His disciples. The crux of the teaching is summed up when Jesus makes these two statements; “you cannot serve two masters”, and “what people value highly is detestable in God’s sight”. Detestable, that is a pretty harsh word. God does not just dislike it, or it is not just bothersome…..no He finds it detestable.  I bring this up this morning, not to reflect on how we sometimes get sidetracked by our worldly goals, or how we are all greedy from time to time, but to look at something that we often miss. Our relationships here on earth we make for one reason, to glorify God. You see, our lives are not about how much our friends like us, or how many people think we are cool, hip, in sync with the current trend, or high enough up the social ladder. The only relationship that counts is the relationship that we foster with the Holy Trinity. Our lives begin, and end on the strength of that relationship. That is the challenge, that is the goal. That is what Christ is telling us here. So many of us value “stuff” God values us.  We try to justify ourselves to each other by what we have, and what we say. We are justified to God when we can stand before Him with nothing, and still see, and give thanks for all that He has given us! What we value, we will chase, what we chase will define not just our lives today, but it will shape our character, it will mold our beliefs, and it will forever forge our legacy that we leave behind.  So what will we value? Things that will tarnish, rust, and fade…most before we even leave this earth…..or will we choose to value the only thing that has true value? Our relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? One is loved by the world, and detested by God, the other is loved by God, but detested by the world. One is easy to get lost in chasing, but will be short lived; the other will take more work but will last an eternity. God knows your heart. He knows what is in there because He created it. He put a piece of his light inside of each of us.  The justification of this world will never replace the magnificent justification that comes with fully living as an adopted child in God’s family. The world gives riches, God gives wealth. The world brings struggle, God brings peace. The world hands out temporary acceptance, and short lived friendships, God gives eternal life, and relationships that last forever. What will we value? What will you value? A quick trip down the road of popularity, or the endless road of a life with the Lord? It is a struggle we face daily, it is one that is not easy, that is why so many prophets talked about it, and Christ gave us such a great example to follow. With Christ all things are possible, the hard, and the easy, the elusive, and the apparent. What we choose to value will speak for itself. After all God knows our hearts, let the good that He planted there spring forth, and flourish, so that we all might glorify God in what we value.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com

 

Monday the 21st

Luke 18: ⁷ And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? ⁸ I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

In Luke 18 we find the story of the persistent widow. A woman who even though she was asking favor from a judge who did not fear God, or respect man, was victorious through persistence. Now a lot of people read this story and they think “yeah, I get it, the squeaky wheel gets greased.” However, the take away here is that we serve a God that is just, and righteous, a God that, unlike the unjust judge, will hear the cries, and requests of those that love Him, and He will respond quickly……but do we ask? How often do we find ourselves at a crossroads, and feel like we have to make the choice of right or left on our own? How many times have we been wronged, only to feel as if we have to be the one to solve the problem, or correct the error? Christ is telling us…..no Christ is promising us here that if we will take the issue to His Father, His Father will intervene. We are then left with the question when the Son of Man comes will He find faith on earth? WOW, so we have Christ urging us to petition His Father, yet He is also telling us that He is worried that when He comes back He might not find faith here. Without faith there is no prayer, and with out prayer there is no faith……The single most important aspect of our faith is turning our lives, our problems, and our destiny over to God. We have to give our lives to Him, and turn it loose. We do that through prayer. We have to believe that God is going to always be there for us, take care of us, and make our wrongs right…..we have to give Him our problems and know He will bring justice. We do that through prayer. Heartfelt, pleading, faithful prayer. It is the key that will unlock the power of God in your life. If we stand in the middle of the storm, and wonder when it will stop, there is a good chance it never will. If we feel like we are sinking, and hope that the water is just not that deep, most likely we will be disappointed. However if we will call on the Lord, if we will make our problems, fears, and short comings known, and ask for the help….knowing that God always works for the good in our lives (another promise) if we will do that…..then prepare to have your world rocked. God will bring about justice in your life. He will calm the storm, and bring about the light….if you will stay persistent in prayer. Anyone can offer us a quick please God, but blessed is the one who faithfully prays. Pray now, pray often, and pray persistently. God will not put off those who do not put Him off. Find the strength to stand by starting the day on your knees.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com