Thursday, July 23, 2009

Receiving What God Offers

In a local church I served as the leader of a healing group. Every Sunday morning after church I would stand at the back and pray for anyone who wanted prayers for healing. One morning a small elderly woman came for prayer. The Holy Spirit was present and strong, and I prayed with boldness. I expected to see her well and whole. Instead, she started to avoid me at church.

One Sunday morning we found ourselves alone at the refreshment table, and I asked her, "How are feeling these days?" And she looked at me sheepishly. "I guess you’re wondering why I don’t come back for prayers." I replied, "Well, I am hoping it is because you were healed." "No," she answered. "I’m not coming back for prayers because you prayed too strong for me. I don’t want that much healing! I wanted just a little healing. I won't be back." Her answer stopped me in my tracks. I had no reply for her.

In all my experience of praying for people I had never met someone who only wanted to be healed a little. And even now, as I’m writing this, I have to wonder: which little part did she want?

This encounter made me sad. And I’ve asked myself time and again, "Is our faith really too small for the power of God’s healing touch? Are we that afraid of God? Or are we afraid to be healed?"

In John 5 Jesus talked with a man in a similar situation. He was by the sheep gate in Jerusalem where there lay a lot of people who were sick, blind, and lame. And Jesus saw the man lying there, and He asked him, "Do you wish to get well?" To most of us, that might seem like a silly question...if we dare think Jesus was ever silly. Wouldn’t everyone want to get well? Wouldn’t everyone want a lot of healing? All the healing they could get?

Evidently, not everyone does. Maybe there comes a lot of responsibility with being well. Perhaps it’s easier to lie there. Some people might get attention for being sick. Others might receive alms or gifts or even compassion or love when they’re sick. Sadly to say, maybe it takes too much effort to stay healthy. It might be easier just to fall into bad habits and let yourself go. Sickness is a convenient excuse.

Whatever the reason it is a sad indictment when the Healer is present and willing and we say, "Sorry. I think I’ll pass." God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16) If He loved us so much He would send His Son to us, why wouldn’t we want every benefit that He wishes to give us? Whether it is healing, an abundant life, success, children, or love, we should open our hearts and our spirits to receive His gifts and treasures. When God asks, "Do you want to get well?" Our answer should be an enthusiastic, "Yes!" When He asks, "Do you want abundance?" "Yes!" should be our reply. No more excuses. No more waiting. Be grateful and receive all God has for you!

Copyright 2009 Gloria Fisher.
All rights reserved.

Time For a Rest?


And He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a lonely place and rest a while." --Mark 6:31

The Great Commission


"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." --Matthew 28:19-20

Living Life By Colossians 3

If then you have been raised up with Christ,

1. Keep seeking the things above
2. Set your mind on the things above
3. Consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality
4. Put aside anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth
5. Do not lie to one another
6. Put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility gentleness, and patience
7. Bear with one another
8. Forgive each other
9. Put on love
10. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts...and be thankful
11. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you
12. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks

Colossians 3:1-17

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

What Does the Lord Require?

"He has told you, O man,
What is good;
And what does the LORD require of you?
But to do justice,
To love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God."
--Micah 6:8

Psalm 23

"The Lord is my shepherd.
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil; for Thou art with me;
Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
Thou hast anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all
the days of my life.
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. "

--New American Standard Version

An Appointed Time For Everything

"There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven--
A time to give birth, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted.
A time to kill, and a time to heal,
A time to tear down, and a time to build up.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance,
A time to throw stones, and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace, and a time to shun embracing.
A time to search, and a time to give up as lost;
A time to keep, and a time to throw away.
A time to tear apart, and a time to sew together;
A time to be silent, and a time to speak,
A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time for war, and a time for peace."
--Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

A Virtuous Wife

"An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
She looks for wool and flax,
And works with her hands in delight.
She is like merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
She rises also while it is still night,
And gives food to her household,
And portions to her maidens.
She considers a field and buys it.
From her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She girds herself with strength,
And makes her arms strong.
She senses that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hands grasp the spindle.
She extends her hand to the poor;
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
She makes coverings for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies belts to the tradesmen.
Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the future.
She opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her saying:
'Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.'
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain.
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
Give her the product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates."
--Proverbs 31:10-31

Light



"I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life." --John 8:12

Here I Am, Lord

I, the Lord of sea and sky,
I have heard my people cry,
I who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright.
All who dwell in dark and sin
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send?

Refrain
Here I am Lord.
Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord,
If you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

I, the Lord of snow and rain,
I have borne my people's pain,
I will break their hearts of stone,
Give them hearts for love alone.
I have wept for love of them.
I will speak my word to them.
Whom shall I send?

Refrain
Here I am, Lord.
Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord,
If you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

I, the Lord of wind and flame,
I will tend the poor and lame,
Finest bread I will provide
Till their hearts be satisfied.
I will set a feast for them,
I will give my life to them.
Whom shall I send?

Refrain
Here I am, Lord.
Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord,
If you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

Copyright 1981, 1983, 1989 Daniel L. Shutte and NALR

Monday, July 6, 2009

Bread of God

God loves us so much that He provides for our every need. Not only does He provide for our need. He goes beyond our need and provides for wants we don’t know we have. When the children of Israel left Egypt and were wandering in the wilderness, they grew hungry, and they grumbled against their leaders, Moses and Aaron. Did they ask God for food? Evidently not. They simply griped and complained. When God heard their complaints, He answered them and met their need by raining down a white substance from the sky that could be made into bread. Scripture says it was like coriander seed, and it tasted like wafers with honey. (Ex. 16:31) For forty years, because He loved them, God provided His bread (the manna) to meet their need for food in order to sustain their bodies in the wilderness. But He didn’t stop there.

God’s people also needed food that would feed their souls and their spirits. They may not have been aware they even had that need. But God knew it, and He provided for it. In the Gospel of John Jesus says, "...I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world." We know from Scripture and from Jesus’ own words that the manna that sustained the body was only a small part of what God had planned for His people. Jesus said, "I am the bread of life, he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." (John 6:35) In other words God wanted to go beyond feeding our bodies. He wanted to feed our spirits so thoroughly that we would never hunger or thirst for anything again that wasn’t Him. And He did it without our ever asking. Indeed we didn’t even know we needed such a thing!

In John 6:41 Jesus says, "I am the bread that came down out of heaven." How much clearer could He say it? In other words I meet your need for food and for drink for your body, for your soul, and for your spirit. What more could God do for us? That seems like every need we could have is met! But because God loves us He wants to do even more than that!

In John 6:48 Jesus says again but in a slightly different way, "I am the bread of life." What more could God do for us? He goes on to say, "Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread, which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die." Not die? Did we dare think that we needed that? Again Jesus says, "I am the living bread that came down out of heaven." Okay, we’re starting to understand that. But then He goes on, "...if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever..." Wait a minute! Now Jesus is telling us that God is going way past what we thought was possible. He’s surpassing any thought we might have about what we thought our need was by miles! He’s talking about eternal life.

Jesus says again in verse 48, "This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died, he who eats this bread shall live forever." It takes several times of Jesus saying this outrageous thing for it to sink in. He goes on to say, "Does this cause you to stumble?" In other words, is this too hard for you to believe? Did you not know that God loves you this much?

When Jesus was speaking with Nicodemus He tells him, "For God so loved the world..." And in John 10:10 Jesus says, "...I came that they might have life and might have it abundantly." Could it be that what Jesus has to say about the bread of God is only a small glimpse of what an abundant life is like. Could it be that we think so small we cannot get past only what we need? Could it be that God wants to give us infinitely more than what we need?

In 1983 I had a dream where Jesus said to me, "I offer you the whole loaf, but you only take crumbs." It was a surprising and eye-opening dream. But I doubt that it is all that unusual. Like the children of Israel we all tend to focus on our needs. Because our needs make us uncomfortable, and we don’t like to be uncomfortable. But I submit that God loves us so much He is holding out to us an abundant life that is beyond our wildest expectations. In fact His gifts to us are so beyond our imaginations we cannot comprehend the greatness of them. We must, however, stop being afraid of God and of what He might ask of us. We must fortify ourselves with His word so that our faith is strong enough to receive all that God wants to give.
God loves you so much, He wants to rain down on you an abundant life. He wants to give you more than your needs require. He wants to bless you beyond your dreams and imagination. Stand tall. Open your arms. And receive the whole loaf of the bread of God.

Copyright 2009 Gloria Fisher.
All rights reserved.

The Importance of Being Mary

"Thousands of devoted men and women today believe that the really good part is to keep busy, and they give themselves no time to take what is offered to those who abide quietly with Christ because there seems such a lot of urgent jobs for Martha to do. The result of this can only be a maiming of their human nature, exhaustion, loss of depth and of vision, and it is seen in the vagueness and ineffectuality of a great deal of the work that is done for God." --Evelyn Underhill, The Essentials of Mysticism