Receive and Give

Posted on February 3, 2009 by Jody Neufeld

Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who have done great things.

Who, O God, is like you?

Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again;

from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.

You will increase my honor and comfort me once again. Psalm 71:19-22 (NIV)

It is winter in our part of the world. The cold is biting and all the flowers and beauty of spring are hidden until their appointed time. The word ‘desolate’ may come to mind. We go through winters in our personal lives also. Events pierce our hearts with a bite and swift blade that cuts us off bringing the scent and look of death into our lives. We flounder and look around with bewildered eyes that see only pain. We may know that God is still here and that He is powerful and Creator God and yet we wonder if He is still here for us personally or has He left to care for someone else.

There is no one and nothing like our Lord! He is not limited by time and space. He is not limited to how many of His children He can hold or advise at one time. He is not limited! In times of blessings and great joy we must infuse ourselves with the knowledge of who God is. We must inhale the truth and splendor of God so that when we are pierced and leak out our stored up knowledge we can still live on what we have hidden in our hearts!

There is rarely a day that goes by that I do not speak to someone who is disillusioned and frustrated with the established church. They find little that invites them to come and receive fresh bread from God’s table of wisdom and knowledge. They report stale, re-used bread that has been on the table year after year. Worship is designed so that they must conform to it and accept what has always been and does not come to where they are and draw them in.

Jesus came to show us how to “Go and make disciples” not wait for them to come to the synagogue and learn what always has been. Jesus took the Scriptures and served the people fresh bread in parables that could be understood and received by the people in their present state. He did not expect them to learn Hebrew and buy nice clothes so they could come to synagogue and THEN hear how much God loved them. He sat on the side of the road with them in their sweaty work clothes and made sure they were comfortable before He brought them un-comfortable words! Those words were fresh and rang with the truth of the Living God!

God’s promises are true. God is faithful to keep His promises. Receive His promises! Live in His promises! Take His promises to others! Today!

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Draw Near to God…if you dare!

Posted on February 2, 2009 by Jody Neufeld

Jesus and his disciples went to the town of Capernaum. Then on the next Sabbath he went into the Jewish meeting place and started teaching. Everyone was amazed at his teaching. He taught with authority, and not like the teachers of the Law of Moses.

Suddenly a man with the evil spirit in him entered the meeting place and yelled, “Jesus from Nazareth, what do you want with us? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are! You are God’s Holy One.”

Jesus told the evil spirit, “Be quiet and come out of the man!” The spirit shook him. Then it gave a loud shout and left.

Everyone was completely surprised and kept saying to each other, “What is this? It must be some new kind of powerful teaching! Even the evil spirits obey him.” News about Jesus quickly spread all over Galilee. Mark 1: 21:29 (CEV)

The “Jewish meeting place” was the synagogue, the church. Jesus went there to teach many times. And look who also shows up! I have heard some say that only God is in church. Not so. The evil one can also show himself!

The evil one knows God. He recognizes the One who is so different from himself. Evil knows who is with God and who is apart from God. Evil also knows that he is going to be destroyed. He just doesn’t know when.

Jesus spoke with authority. He spoke the truth and the power of God. The evil one recognized and bowed to that. Will you? Hmmmm.

For decades we in the church have stressed and worried about offending people. Jesus does not seem to consider that when He speaks. His heart is pure in its purpose. He makes us uncomfortable. He makes us think. He is not focused on whether the pews that the people sit on in the synagogue is to their liking. He does not consider if they are happy with what He says and it fits their personal theology. He says what the Father wants Him to say to be true and teach us and direct us in His path. He is focused on our spiritual health and our eternal life.

We must stop our short-sighted, self-absorbed thinking and open ourselves to the discipline of God that will strengthen us and heal us. We must grow up! Drawing closer to God is bound to be uncomfortable and life-changing! No one in the Bible came near to God (good or evil) and walked away unchanged!

So let’s come near God with pure hearts and a confidence that comes from having faith. Let’s keep our hearts pure, our consciences free from evil, and our bodies washed with clean water. We must hold tightly to the hope that we say is ours. After all, we can trust the one who made the agreement with us. We should keep on encouraging each other to be thoughtful and to do helpful things. Some people have gotten out of the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that. We should keep on encouraging each other, especially since you know that the day of the Lord’s coming is getting closer.

Hebrews 10:22-25 (CEV)

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Praising God Forward

Posted on January 27, 2009 by Jody Neufeld

I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders.
I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.  Psalm 9:1-2 (NIV)

This week my family will host the seventh annual John Webb Winter Golf  Tournament here in Pensacola, FL.  This is a fundraiser for the Child Life Program of Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital, part of the Miracle Network.  My son, James, was treated for cancer there.  It is an opportunity given to us to give back (or ‘play it forward’) by raising money to purchase fun and encouraging items for the children who face life-threatening illnesses.  We have been able to buy a plasma TV for the playroom, DVD/VCR players for the rooms (which are in need of replacement this year), a library of Veggie Tale movies, journals for aspiring writers, books, craft items, birthday bags and wrapping paper so that parties may happen, lullaby crib mobiles, and many other ‘little things’ to make a hospital stay a bit better.

We are not special people.  We have an extra-ordinary God who, when you make plans with Him, you may want to anticipate a big plan!  We are blessed in ways we keep discovering as we continue to follow God every year.  I wonder how many tournaments are opened with prayer. I wonder how many who play in the tournament receive healing because they are able to channel their own pain in a loving way over that child they know who has been a patient.

God desires to be a part of every aspect of our life and brings His healing and love and forgiveness into all situations.  Too often we try to compartmentalize God into the Sunday hour or the Wednesday night meeting.  God is a 24/7 Father, Savior, Friend, and Inspiration.  How spectacular it is to watch Him work!  How awesome to be a part of that work!

I pray that we will all take the rest of this week to open our eyes and hearts to opportunities to share the Good News of God with the many groups of people that God gives to us.  I am going to follow His lead this week and see what blessings will flow!  To God be all the glory!  And I will see you in the devotion time next Monday.

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Fill me up with the good stuff!

Posted on January 26, 2009 by Jody Neufeld

I have hidden your word in my heart, so that I might not sin against you. — Psalm 119:11

I heard a speaker on the radio use this passage. His suggestion was that you find scriptures that relate to particular temptations that you face, and learn them well, perhaps even memorize them, and then when facing the temptation, call those scriptures back to mind.

I’m not opposed to his idea. It’s a good one for facing temptation. But I wonder why we focus so much on the negative ways of dealing with temptation. We ask how to fight it, how to resist it, and in some cases how to avoid it. All of those things are necessary at one time or another.

But there’s a better idea. How about occupying our lives so positively that temptation can’t find any space to work with?

In our churches and in our lives we often tend to deal with problems negatively. Problems with sexual sins? Resist! Resist! Resist! And you must resist. But the best foundation from which to resist sexual sins of all varieties is one of healthy relationships, both with the opposite sex and with others of one’s own sex. There are some purely sexual temptations, but the devil’s helper in those cases is feelings of inadequacy, loneliness, abandonment, and many other problems that result from poor relationships. Don’t forget to resist, but you’ll do so much better if your life is filled with healthy relationships.

Healthy relationships and a healthy self-image contribute to resisting temptation in the area of anger, resentment, and un-forgiveness. Often our anger is fueled by the fact that we can’t really do anything about it. Sometimes we just have a habit of anger, and so get angry even when we can manage a situation. I work at times with some folks who, by nature of their position always have the upper hand, yet they will often get angry instead of taking the appropriate action.

And what is resentment except an acknowledgment to ourselves that we can’t really do anything effective, so we’re just going to hang out and stew about the problem. Finding a healthy way to relate to the people who tempt you to resentment is going to build your own mental and physical health.

So how does this relate to Psalm 119? Where are you going to find a healthy self-image? I’d suggest that you will do so in and through Jesus Christ, and through God’s word. That includes the written word, the Bible, but it also includes the creative word.

God’s creative word tells you that God made you and then declared you good (Genesis 1:26-31). It says that God sees you as important and cares about you (Psalm 8). God’s creation will give you an insight into God’s mind. Yes, by looking at yourself, even, you can learn something about God.

Once you learn how important you are in God’s view, and how you are redeemed by Jesus and made into a new creation ( 2 Corinthians 5:17), then you know how to spend your time—building up God’s creation and building those positive relationships.

Instead of talking and thinking about how bad other people are (Muslims, Pagans, non-believers, whoever), talk about the wonderful things God has done for you. Instead of talking and thinking about all the things God has forbidden you as a sexual being, concentrate on the positive things God has made possible.

Spend your time in God’s word, learning about God’s will, and carrying out God’s plans, and you’ll find that you have many less temptations to resist.  The ones you do have to resist will be easier to handle as well!

Posted in Psalms | 1 Comment

Living in His Peace

Posted on January 23, 2009 by Jody Neufeld

[Jesus said,] “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 (NIV)

Peace is the place where there is calm and quiet. It is a safe and secure place. It is a place where I know faith, trust, and hope. It is not easy to find that place with everything that goes on in my world. What must I do to gain access into the place of peace?

* Move close to God. That seems straight forward and simple enough. But for me, the important point is consistency. When I consistently spend time with God, then my ‘peace muscle’ gets strong. My time with God cannot be hurried. I must choose time to pray and read God’s word. That also keeps the consistency from becoming just a part of a religious checklist. I must also take the time to be quiet and still and just – listen. In those periods I get to know God.

* Make choices and set my priorities. Strangely enough, it took me many years to realize that I can NOT do everything. Even though I would say that I spend my time doing ‘good’ things, I do not always listen to God directing me to do the His things. Doing tasks that are not on God’s list is just as disobedient as not doing tasks that are on His list! When I keep my priorities straight then it is easier to be obedient to the God-tasks because they will fall into those priorities. For me, the priorities I have set: #1: my relationship with God (whatever builds that), #2: my relationship with my family, beginning with my husband and then my children and grandchildren, my brother and sisters-in-law, etc., and #3: my life, including my career, my physical health, etc.

* Embrace forgiveness. Let go of the disappointments that people and circumstances will bring my way. People do not always treat me well and life is not fair. There it is! Only God himself knows every sword that has pierced my heart. He is my protector and the One that is always there to pour out His grace that is sufficient for whatever the situation and to whoever I need to extend forgiveness.

God desires that my life not be one of chaos and confusion. He wants my life filled with His peace and His love and that assurance that I know – that I know – that I know – that He is there. I can allow my Lord to control my life; set my priorities; and show me the peace that truly does pass all my understanding. (Philippians 4) For now it is a journey of peace not a destination. It is a journey that I walk with my Lord.

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What is My Excuse?

Posted on January 22, 2009 by Jody Neufeld

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”

As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him.

When he had gone a little father, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him. Mark 1:14-20 (NIV)

This was the topic of the Bible study that I attended yesterday. Do you attend a weekly study? If you don’t – do it! It’s the best medicine, spa treatment, and workout that you can invest your time.

One of the characteristics of Mark’s gospel version is his use of the word ‘immediate’. Mark, showing maybe a side of his youth, is always having people move quickly. The very style of his gospel is brief and to the point. This is no leisurely ‘Emmaus walk’ gospel!

Notice that it says that Jesus proclaims God’s Good News. He says that ‘the time’, the fulfillment of all that God has been promising has come. God’s Kingdom is about to manifest itself in Him, the perfect atonement and the Living Word. As a disciple I am to 1) Receive that the time is now and His Kingdom is here, 2) Repent! and 3) Believe!

Did you notice that Jesus said that He would make me into a fisher of men. I’m not sure about that. Maybe He is assuring the disciples that HE has the plan and the all that is needed for the plan to be successful. He knows the fish. He knows how to fish. Jesus knows the fishermen. Am I willing?

And then here is where we see Mark’s ‘immediate’ and ‘at once’. Jesus calls. Peter and Andrew, James and John go. There is no thinking it over by either party. There are no questions like “Where are we going?” or “What are we going to do?” Jesus knows who He wants. He knows what He is going to teach them. He knows the plan.

The disciples followed Him. They followed Him and did what He did. They didn’t learn Jesus’ lessons and then try to improve on it. They didn’t make it into a program. They did what Jesus told them to do. They had a personal relationship with Him and that is what they taught. They kept it simple. It was and is the Good News of God.

What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away. 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 (NIV)

The Kingdom of God is here. What is your excuse?

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New Day – God’s Way

Posted on January 21, 2009 by Jody Neufeld

David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,

“Praise be to you, O LORD, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for

everything in heaven and earth is yours.

Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.

Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things.

In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.

Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. 1 Chronicles 29:10-13 (NIV)

It is the morning after the inauguration of our 44th President of the United States. I purposely did not write a devotion pointed to this historic day until after because, to me, now is when my work as a citizen begins anew. WORK is the word.

The pictures of the previous presidents (Carter, H.W. Bush, Clinton, George Bush) were one of men who had faced great tasks and they looked very old and more than a little worn. They had stood their ground in conflict and passed the torch on to the next runner.

Our new Christian president, as the 43 before him, has tasks before him that I cannot begin to grasp the magnitude of them. And so I went to Scripture and looked at King David. When David was right in the middle of God’s will, he was praising God and acknowledging that God, and only God, could accomplish the tasks because that is where strength and wisdom comes.

If you were like me and had to work yesterday, I hope you will take time today and read the text of the inauguration speech. It began with President Obama putting his hand on Abraham Lincoln’s Bible, taking the historical oath, and it ended with these words:

“Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.”

God’s Kingdom is not just the United States of America. God’s Kingdom is all. It is ALL. President Obama said, “We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.” How we offer the freedom of God’s Kingdom to ALL is not answered easily or with a program. It is living our lives in God’s truth and love. It is a magnitude of fervent, never-ceasing prayer with acts of Jesus-based love.

Pray. Make a good new year resolution to spend time every day praying for yourself; praying for your family; praying for your country and its leaders. May God be glorified in prayer and deed.


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Winter

Posted on January 20, 2009 by Jody Neufeld

Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime; it is the LORD who makes the storm clouds. He gives showers of rain to men, and plants of the field to everyone. Zechariah 10:1 (NIV)

It’s winter here in the panhandle of Florida. ‘Winter’ is a relative term, especially if you are reading this in Canada or Norway. However, wherever you live in the northern hemisphere it is probably colder now than it will be in July. I love spring and fall so when winter and summer come…I have to choose to be glad!

Note: The phrase, “I choose …” has come more frequently in my life. A very wise 93-year-old friend of mine gave me a word of truth one day when she said that every day there are choices to make and how the day goes may be determined by those choices. Her example is that she has “aches and pains” and she chooses each day not to dwell on them.

So even though I do not like the cold and gray of these winter months I look beyond that and see the beautiful winter sky that seems as crisp as the air that blows on my face. I see the rainy days as God sowing into His creation. The weather has always been a picture of God to me. The clouds, the rain, the quietness of snowfall, and the wind – gentle breeze or hurricane force winds – are characteristic of the POWER and the LOVE of God. I don’t know if that makes sense to anyone else but it speaks to my spirit.

It is also in the winter that I learn how God is growing (or moving or doing) even when I cannot see it. There is so much going on behind the scenes! Seriously, God may seem silent but He is right here and ‘spring’ is coming. That means when I pray and I am crying out to God for His wisdom and His guidance and I do not ‘hear’ Him answer…there are things happening and the fruit of His work is going to bloom if I will stay faithful to our prayer time together and faithful to what I do know are His principles.

The fields of where God plants will harvest abundantly! God is about abundance and He uses His resources wisely. He does not waste. And He will not waste the gifts He has given me. I am in a ‘winter’ in ministry right now. I am very much behind the scenes. I am not teaching every week. I am not actively writing a book right now. I am in a soaking time where I am not to waste God’s time of sowing into me. I am trying to listen and watch with expectation at what God wants to say and show me. I have begun to journal again as I did in 1995-1998. I am also in a time to encourage others. I have been writing emails and notes and calling people to uplift and raise others to produce and glorify God as they see what He is doing in their life.

The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD; and his name the only name. Zechariah 14:9 (NIV)

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I Do – But God Does First!

Posted on January 19, 2009 by Jody Neufeld

I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue.

If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;

but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer.

Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me! Psalm 66:17-20 (NIV)

Do I cry out to God? You bet. Even today. There are few times that God and I chat and I do not get… emotional and cry and/or cry out to Him. It is with God that I can say whatever is in my heart and He sifts through the emotion and brings His truth to me and sows those seeds into my heart and spirit.

Do I praise Him? Not enough. If every word from my mouth for the rest of my life was praise for my Lord and what He has done and continues to do…it still wouldn’t be enough. The words are inadequate but my Father is pleased to hear them any way.

Do I cherish my sin? No. Absolutely not. To cherish something is ‘to hold dear and treat with care and affection’ (The Mirriam-Webster Dictionary. 1997)and I do not cherish any sin in my life! I hate and regret the sin that is in my life. I want so much to let go of the sin that so easily entangles (Hebrews 12:1) and with God’s help I am growing more in Him and less in sin every day. The steps may be small and my mind may try to tell me that some days I do not grow at all…but if I am ALIVE IN CHRIST then I AM growing!

And so…

God has and continues to listen! How do I know? Because I see His response in my life! I experience answered prayer in my life. I see answered prayer in the lives of others. I know God’s presence.

God has not and will not reject my prayer. Any information to the contrary is a lie. God wants to have conversations with me. Jesus came and died so that I could have conversations with the Father. He showed me how to do that.

God has not and will not withhold His love. If God was a ‘conditional-love’ kind of father, then He wouldn’t have sent His Son to die for me. All I have done is accept the free gift of Jesus – God does the rest. And ‘the rest’ is extravagant, never-ending love.

Think how much the Father loves us. He loves us so much that he lets us be called his children, as we truly are. 1 John 3:1 (CEV)

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Rest for my Soul

Posted on January 16, 2009 by Jody Neufeld

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

Psalm 62:5-8 (NIV)

It’s the end of another work week that has been hectic. The weekend off from my regular job is nice but I have a very long laundry list (that includes laundry!) to cover this weekend. I am blessed that my nights afford me good sleep but with all the lists floating around in my head rest is an often missed essential. And that is when the words of Psalm 62 and similar verses bring me down to that wonderful chair where I meet with my Father and truly find rest.

I was walking through a store last night and noticed a display of CDs that had ocean sounds, forest sounds, or harps or violins. These would help you relax. Then there were shelves of books that beckoned to give me ‘steps to relax’. And as I looked around at the people who were also in the store with me, I saw how these items would sell! It was late at night and children were being dragged around whimpering and begging for ‘stuff’ when what they really needed was rest.

How do I prioritize my day? Do I begin my day with an opportunity to acknowledge God as the Creator of the day? Do I ask God to direct me through the day? Do take the time at lunch to reaffirm my choice of God as my day’s director? Do I end my day with a chat with God? Is there quiet at the end of my day to allow God to assess the day and correct me? Encourage me? Thank Him for everything that He did?

There are always excuses for not focusing on God but there is no excuse for not choosing to focus on Him! No matter what the day brings: how many children you must organize or how little your spouse helps or the deadlines that must be met there is always, ALWAYS time for God! Just try to make one adjustment and set God as the focus. See how the blessings will come! Let us “pour out …(my) heart to him, for God is our refuge”. God is safe place. He is the place of warm comfort and sufficient wisdom and extravagant love. O people, let us truly trust Him in all times! Start today. Right now.

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