The Perfect Prayer

Posted on January 3, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

“This, then, is how you should pray:
Our Father I heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’”      Matthew 6:9-11  (NIV)

It is interesting, and yes, a bit troubling, that Jesus instructs me to pray for bread enough for only today.  Only today.  In this prayer, my past is brought up to forgive my sins.  My future is about the temptations that may come my way and the assurance that God is not surprised by those either.  My present, my today – God will provide enough ‘bread’, of everything that I need…for today.

Keep me from lying and being dishonest. And don’t make me either rich or poor; just give me enough food for each day. If I have too much, I might reject you and say, ‘I don’t know the LORD.’ If I am poor, I might steal and disgrace the name of my God.            Proverbs 30:8-9 (NCV)

Jesus said the same thing that the Wisdom of Proverbs said, ‘enough food for each day’!  It is a trust issue.  Trust God that He knows what I need for today and knows even what tomorrow will bring and has that in His hand also.

When things are going well, the ‘bread’ that God provides are like ‘Twinkies’ or ‘Oreos’ on my plate!  The time is sweet.  I want to just spend a lot of time with the Lord and enjoy the meal He has prepared for me.  This is God’s kitchen not His restaurant where I receive my ‘daily bread’.  It’s not a restaurant because I don’t come in expecting a menu where I order what I want. It is God’s kitchen where He plans what He knows what I need.  Some days have more vegetables where I receive lessons and some days have meat that I have to chew and chew and swallow in small bites so I don’t choke! God’s lessons of His love and mercy to me are sweet. His lessons of unconditional love and mercy that I extend to others in the same way that I want to receive it…are as palatable as cauliflower! (I don’t like cauliflower, by the way!) The larger lessons of how He works and His way of wisdom require some chewing on my part and take a little longer to ‘digest’.  And then there are those cups of suffering and pain that are sometimes so vile and difficult to look at.  Jesus was given a cup like that.  What did He do?

Jesus who knew the Father and trusted Him completely, looked at what the Father was giving Him that day for His ‘bread’ and said, “Oh, no!  Please give me something else! … But, I’ll drink it … with your help.”  (Luke 22:41)

Yes, sometimes what is on my plate for this day is difficult to consume.  The cup may contain suffering and hardship that seems impossible to drink: the loss of a job, wrongful accusations of co-workers or even family and friends, the loss of someone you love and it hurts so much you may think you will never eat again.  Jesus has been there and He even asked the Father to take the cup from Him.  The Father’s response was “No”.

Whatever the Father serves me this day, I must take that step of trust in faith and know from my past experiences with Him that He will send me the strength I need…for today.  I may never be exonerated in this world.  I may never have all the answers to my questions in this world.  But I will always have Jesus before me and His Holy Spirit surrounding me and my ‘Abba Father’ who loves me.  I have what I need…for today.

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Reflection Before Resolution

Posted on December 31, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.      Proverbs 27:19 (NLT)

Are you going to make a new resolution tonight? I stopped making resolutions on New Year’s after I left high school. I do, however, get reflective at the New Year. I think about the past year. What have I learned? In what ways have I been obedient? In what ways haven’t I? It’s like having a parent/teacher-child conference with God!

Malachi speaks about the LORD as a refiner’s fire (Malachi 3). A refiner puts the silver in the heat and keeps it there until all the impurities are burned out. The refiner becomes reflected in the silver. The created reflects the Creator. Have I reflected my Creator this year?

God so wants to have the conversation with me. He wants to teach me and encourage me to grow so that we become closer. He isn’t going to force our time together. He will wait until I invite Him.

My devotion today is much shorter than usual. I pray that you will take more time with God instead. I am leaving you with a list of Scripture. I would like to suggest that you settle in a comfortable chair with your Bible and, whether in the quiet or with some music that you and God enjoy, spend time together as time transitions from 2010 to 2011.

Isaiah 46:3-4

Psalm 37:23-24

Proverbs 16:9

John 3:30

Psalm 48:14

Isaiah 41:10

Isaiah 40:31

Isaiah 55:12

Titus 2:13

Revelation 21:4-5

1 Corinthians 2:9-10

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Beloved Children

Posted on December 30, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.’”     Matthew 25:41

In the middle of Jesus’ description of Judgment Day where He describes the separation of the ‘sheep’ and ‘goats’, He tells us clearly that hell, or the eternal fire, was created not for us but for satan and his followers.  I find that comforting and a confirmation of what Paul said to Timothy:

This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 (NLT, my emphasis)

God is a good parent.  He desires that His children come to Him out of love and the joy of being with Him but He is also willing to apply some negative discipline, teaching me that there are consequences for making poor choices.  Hell is the consequence for not choosing God as the Lord of my life.  Hell was not made for people.  For a person to go to hell that person must choose to go against God’s destiny.

God’s plan and desire has always been for me to live with Him for all eternity.  Hell would be my choice, not God’s.  To choose hell means that I love myself more than God. I love sin more than the Savior who was willing to take my sins and die for me.  And I love this world more than the eternal world that God created for me.  Judgment is that moment in time when God will look at me and say, “Your choice is now honored.”  Will heaven be my choice or will hell be my choice?

The first recorded sermon or teaching that Jesus gave was on a mountainside.  He spoke of those who are blessed (the Beatitudes) and ended with a clear warning about the judgment.  He describes it in Matthew 7 as a ‘wide and narrow gate’.  His last sermon or teaching in Matthew 25 also speaks of judgment in the description of the ‘sheep and the goats’.  Jesus did not want me to be wondering about Judgment.  Jesus wanted me to understand my two choices.  He wanted me to be informed.  He wanted me to choose wisely.  Jesus wanted me to choose…Him.

Jesus is the only one who has seen the Father. He said that He and the Father are One (John 10:30). So if I know Jesus, I know the Father. Jesus teaches me how the Father parents His children. He is extravagant with His love. So extravagant that my eternal life with Him is what He wants for me. He wants the best for me. He is showing me how a good parent keeps the child’s life in focus, not the immediate gratification.

Let us make good choices in 2011. Let us choose Jesus and His path. Let us listen to our Father with an obedient heart. We are His children.

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Parent and Child

Posted on December 29, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.         Proverbs 17:6 (NLT)

If you are a parent, older sibling that is raising a younger sibling, or mentor, pull up a chair and join me. Do your children look at you with pride? Or are most of their looks blank, horror, embarrassment, anger, hurt, disappointment? Do your children invite their friends home? Do your children complain because you never come to visit them or explain to you why your seven-day visit can only be four days because they are going out of town? Do they invite you to dinner in their home more than once a month? Do they leave their children with you?

God gives us His definite thoughts about being a parent. He shows us over and over what being a good parent is all about. I have shared before that when I did a word study on Father that it was eye-opening and healing to me. I learned so much about forgiveness and real love. I thought it was going to help me understand my own parents. And it did. But it also taught me about being a parent; finding the balance between encouraging and discipline.

Colossians 3:18-21. I included the verses on husbands and wives because we must be an example to our children in that area also. How I treat my husband will influence my daughter on how she treats her husband. Submission doesn’t mean door mat or that I have no opinion. It also doesn’t mean that I keep a score card! Read verse 21 slowly and several times. As parents we are not to frustrate our children with a list of rules and expectations that overwhelm them. I believe the frustration comes many times because parents ask from their children what they do not do themselves. They put on a mask of holiness but, as Jesus observed, they are “white-washed tombs”(Matthew 23:27).

Ephesians 6:1-4. Here Paul goes another step after the warning to “not exasperate” and says we should grow our children up in God’s instructions. That means we do not just tell our children what to do but we show them; lead them by our example. If I want them to love Jesus and follow His example, then they should see and know that is how I live my life.

Genesis 2:24. You might think this is a strange verse to consider but God said that a child shall leave their mother and father and become one with their spouse. Am I raising my child to leave me? Am I giving them the tools to make good choices and understand consequences of their choices when they are two so that when they are twenty they are not surprised that being rebellious and disobedient will lead them to pain and suffering?

When I did my word study, I read for months. That was over ten years ago and I haven’t quit reading. I haven’t quit because my heart aches for these now adults that are struggling in their marriages and in raising their own children. If children’s children are a crown to me in my old age, my crown is pretty sad because I did not raise their parents in God’s instructions.

I do not believe it is too late to make a course correction but the correction must be by truthful example. Let us be honest with our children. “I was wrong” is not a bad thing to say to your adult children. Let us encourage our children to study about “the Father” and learn to be a parent after His heart; desiring to live with Him forever.

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Words

Posted on December 28, 2010 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 has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”     Mark 1:14-15 (NLT, my emphasis)

“Repent” comes before the believe. The Good News that Jesus came to fulfill is the next step that we often jump to after Christmas. We want to stay in the feel good place and so we pick and choose what we want to study in the Bible. We tune in to the some sermons but not all sermons because they might say words or phrases I don’t want to hear – like repent.

Jesus says that I definitely must repent. No shortcuts. That means I have to make a turn and head in a different direction, away from sin. There’s another word that I do not like to hear in a sermon: sin. On what self-absorbed, me-planet do I think that I do not sin??! Oh, how I wish I did not sin! The ‘sin’ in my life comes when I set my feet and decide that I know and my way is best. I step on to the slippery slope that has me making decisions with myself in mind first. Making judgments about other people. Grabbing all I can for me. My mind is filled with “I” and “me”. My study time and prayer time is no longer a priority. I can justify it by making long lists about how busy I am and how much people are counting on me.

Jesus had three years, a finite amount of time, to begin and finish His ministry. I do not think that I can compare busy lists with Jesus! And yet, Jesus spent time in quiet with the Father. The gospels record many times that Jesus went up a mountain or somehow stepped apart from their others to get quiet and have time with just the Father. Even Jesus did not think He could run forever!

Last week and this week have been a time where I am on track. I have read, studied, prayed, and listened and I am feeling great! So why don’t I do this every week? Because I sin! I take my eyes off the Father and those He puts into my life to serve – and look at myself! This week God has been so close and when my mind strays…He is there and I make the turn and repent. And faith rises in this atmosphere. Times may be tough but faith speaks to me with assurance that God sees and knows my needs.

I believe because I have repented. The path between God and me is clear.

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”      Mark 1:17 (NLT, my emphasis)

Two words that are life! The ministry that I have been called to do; the way that I serve others; how I live an abundant life – all begin and end with Jesus and His follow me command. It is Good News.

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Great Expectations

Posted on December 27, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”    John 14:1-3 (NLT)

Christmas has such a high level of expectation connected with it. No, I am not speaking just about presents. There is an expectation that our family time will be perfect with a time of fellowship that will be beyond anything we have experienced before. The meals will be better than any we have had. We will come through the holiday feeling better than we ever have. Here we are after the holiday and we are probably yet again, disappointed. Our expectations are built on people, things, and feelings that are not meant to carry us. They are not able to be all that we are seeking. We set ourselves up to fail when we choose fallible origins. Let us make a correction on our course today.

John 14-17 has always been four consecutive chapters in the Bible that, for me, are “stuffed” with things to learn. Not surprising as Jesus was probably doing His final “class” with the disciples before His death. It is here that I find the promises where I can place my expectations.

Words of comfort. Jesus begins with comfort. He has lived 33 years on this earth and knows our weaknesses and the pain that falls on us as we live our lives. Do not be afraid, Jesus says, because whatever we go through here – there is a perfect place waiting for us that He has prepared.

Points to the Triune. Jesus says clearly that if we believe in Him, we believe in the Father because they are one. If we ask Him, we have asked the Father. Then Jesus tells us that all that He has taught will be remembered because He is sending His Spirit to remind us. We are told again not to be afraid.

Expect the unexpected. Now Jesus addresses my “But! But!”. If I think that Jesus cannot possibly understand my life and how hard it is, Jesus starts Chapter 15 by warning me to stay attached to Him like a branch is on a vine. He uses this analogy to explain how I can live, truly live in all the dimensions, when I consciously choose to follow and soak up what He freely gives. Jesus then gives me the “bad news”. In all that Jesus has taught me He did not promise that I will have an easy time. If I am hated, Jesus was hated first. If someone wants to kill me for God (Chapter 16), they killed Him first.

I am promised joy and eternal life. Jesus brings this teaching full circle as He explains that my grief will turn to joy. That by following Him I will find His joy in moments when I need it most. And, first and foremost, I am to remember that in the midst of trouble in this world, Jesus has overcome the world.

Jesus prays…for me. Chapter 17 is a prayer spoken by Jesus. Not as well known as what we know as the Lord’s Prayer, but a prayer that is from His heart to the Father. He sets the example to me that I should pray for myself first and then for others. That speaks to me about allowing God to put me in the right place, the right focus, and then lift up others to be blessed in the same way.

Let us put our expectations on Jesus. Let us start and end our day with Him so that we are “set” to expect Him in every moment. Jesus will never disappoint.

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Silent Night

Posted on December 24, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.

The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.        Luke 23:44-49 (NIV)

This may seem like a strange Scripture to quote on Christmas Eve. I suspect that whatever worship service you attend in the next 24 hours, this will not be the Scripture shared. But on this day, when I look into the barn at Bethlehem and bow my head to the Baby, I bow because Jesus came to die for me. All the prophecies, all of God’s plan was about Messiah who would come to save me and He could not do that without the spilling of His Blood.

Darkness may come over my life but darkness will not have the victory because Jesus conquered the darkness. Jesus tore down the curtain that separates me from the Father. I have a clear path into the Most Holy Place because of Jesus. There may be days when I crawl into that Holy Place but the Father’s hand is outstretched to lift me up and sit me in His lap. We talk. I hear His voice. I am healed. I am strengthened for another day.

Mary was there when Gabriel announced that the Messiah would come and that she was the one chosen to bring Him to earth. Mary was there when the Messiah fulfilled the promise. When I think that my heart cannot take another “hit” I stand on her testimony that, with the Holy Spirit’s strength, I can. I watch and learn.

It is Holy Night. Will it be a Silent Night? In many countries there is war. While most of us worship and sing, unwrap presents, and eat, and eat, many will put on their uniforms and report for duty. Police, fire responders, emergency medical personnel, hospital personnel, military on foreign soil and at home, our president and security personnel, so many who are there, on duty, 24 hours/day.

Let us make a choice on this Holy Night and be still and know the Presence of our LORD. May we be thankful this night for Jesus and the sacrifice that He brought that night and fulfilled in the darkness of Calvary. May we bring all that we are and give all that we are to Jesus to use as He wills, that we may glorify the Father.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.       John 1:14 (NIV)

Silent Night, by Father Joseph Mohr and Franz Xaver Gruber, sung by Andrea Bocelli

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He Changes Everything

Posted on December 23, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.   Luke 2:6-7 (NLT)

As I have traveled this journey called life there have been many crossroads and turns that have taken me in a different direction than what I thought I would be traveling. The birth of my first child (in my case, children as I had twins) was, without a doubt, the second most profound change in my life. I thought I was ready for the changes. I certainly wanted all of my children. But I was clueless about the changes that would come in my life.

Some changes were more easily identifiable and I changed course happily. Such a miracle the way God brings a child into this world. Before I knew it, there was gymnastics, baseball, band, and birthday parties.

Some changes were more subtle and yet required more effort and, I am ashamed to say, I did not do very well. Those changes involved my ego. A baby means that my sleep will come when his/her sleep comes. A baby means diapers, food, clothes, and doctor bills that come when most parents’ income decreases as childcare takes its major chunk in the ‘cost of living’ list. The birth means it is all about “him/her” and “me” slips down the list.

The Baby born on that night in Bethlehem was no different. He changed everything in Mary and Joseph’s life. AND He changed everything in my life. On that night, when the Father sent His Son to earth, the road went from Bethlehem to Calvary. The Father had a plan that was wrapped in a Promise that had been given to redeem His children. The Baby was the Messiah before His first breath. The Baby was a King and a Savior even as He laid in a manger where cattle fed. The Baby changed everything.

The life-giving change that came into my life when I committed my life to Jesus was the most profound change in my life. Some changes were extraordinary as my sins and pain were washed away in the Blood of Jesus. Some changes were subtle and continue to require more effort as I let go of “me” and focus on “Him”. Jesus changes everything.

A Baby Changes Everything by Craig Wiseman and Tim Nichols, sung by Faith Hill

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Here I Come…

Posted on December 22, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

“When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you.”         Luke 10:5-6 (NLT)

My daughter and granddaughters went caroling last night. This group has been caroling for at least 20 years. It was wonderful for Janet and her girls to reconnect with these friends and for Janet to share that good memory with her girls. They go to many shut-ins. It is wonderful to stand back and just watch the faces of those who open their doors to this group. It truly is watching the Light come to visit them.

Jesus wants me to share His Good News with everyone. Caroling is an awesome way to share the joy, the love, the very caring that comes from God’s heart! People need encouragement. They need to know that they have not been forgotten.

I hope that all of us receive Jesus’ peace during this season. I hope we choose to wrap that peace around us and extend that mantle around the homes that we enter. It is Jesus’ joy and peace that is the best gift that we can give to others.

The song that I am sharing today is a simple one but I hope you will take the time to listen and see the power of God’s blessings. May it become the theme song that plays in our spirits as we open our homes to others and/or visit other homes, carrying Jesus’ peace.

The reason for this season is not about how many presents or how much food. It is about whether I took the opportunity given to me to be Jesus’ ambassador.

Here We Come a Caroling, a traditional English carol.

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The Faithful Come to Worship Him

Posted on December 21, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.      Romans 12:1-2 (NLT)

“All Come All Ye Faithful” is a familiar hymn that I sing during this season. Like many hymns, I may sing it without thinking about what I am singing. Do I think about:

– Jesus is my King? Do I have reverence and holy fear that befits a king who has no equal? Jesus reminds me that I should not fear someone who can only kill my body but instead fear the One who can kill body and soul! (Matthew 10:20)

– How I worship? Do I attend church because it is “the thing to do”? Church is a building that gives me a place to come together and proclaim my love and thankfulness to my LORD. Do I think about what I am saying when I sing? Does it come from my heart or is it “just words”?

– What I am going to be doing in heaven? Revelation speaks about the angels continually praising God (Revelation 4). Am I going to be happy in heaven doing that when I am “bored” singing hymns or “irritated” repeating praise choruses? Is my heart preparing for eternity? Do I spend time thinking about all that God has done and continues to do for me?

Worship is emotion. It would be impossible to express my love and thankfulness without connecting with my heart! Unless my love and thankfulness is just for show! God made my emotions. They should be used not allowed to dry up and die!

Take a few minutes today and join in singing, at least, with your heart this well-loved song of adoration.

O Come All Ye Faithful, Sung by the Celtic Women

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