Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be at the center of my heart and the center of my day.
"For it is the God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us" (2 Corinthians 4:6-7).
Lord Jesus, let Your face shine through my face today! I welcome you and your light to pierce through my darkness and push back any darkness around me today. Let Your glory overcome my simple clay and Your Spirit consume my flesh to make me more like You today. And let Your power--Your extraordinary power that comes only from You--be made perfect in my weakness, as I rest in Your grace to shine with Your glory. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, I pray you let the light of Christ pierce through your darkness and allow the face of Christ shine through your face every day, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Please share your thoughts and reflections in the comment box below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community, my family, and those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Thank You!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. O Lord, my God--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--I worship You in spirit and truth; and I welcome You into my heart and every moment of my day.
"I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:2-3).
Lord Jesus, in You are hidden "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." As it turns out, it's all about You! Just as You revealed to Your two disciples walking to Emmaus right after Your resurrection, the law and the prophets all point to You; what's concealed in the Old Covenant is revealed in the Christ of the New Covenant: "Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, (Jesus) interpreted to them the things about Himself in all the Scriptures" (Luke 24:20). And just as You said to all Your disciples gathered near to You at the shore just before Your ascension back to heaven: "These are My words that I spoke to you while I was still with you--that everything written about Me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled" (Luke 24:44). "Then (You) opened their minds to understand the Scriptures" (Luke 24:45).
Lord Jesus, open my mind to understand the Scriptures! Open my spirit to embrace Your truth and experience Your Presence on my daily journey to grow in "the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God's mystery, that is Christ Himself." There's joy in this journey to seek out "all the treasures" You've hidden away for us to find. "It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings to search things out" (Proverbs 25:2).
As I search Your Word and seek Your Presence, I know the more I seek You, the more I find You. That's the Promise of Your Word as well: "When you search for Me, you will find Me; if you seek Me with all your heart, I will let you find Me, says the Lord" (Jeremiah 29:13-14). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, I pray you will open your Bible and spend time “treasure hunting” today and seek out all the treasures of God hidden in Christ in the inspired words contained in that book, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends
Please share your thoughts and reflections in the comment box below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community, my family, and those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Thank You!
Father, Son and Spirit I seek you desperately this morning as my source of life today.
“And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God. And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.” (Mark 12:28-34)
Jesus, when asked which commandment was the most important and greatest, you did not pick one of the 10 Commandments. You chose two commandments from Leviticus and Deuteronomy, commands to love God with all my heart and to love my neighbors as I love myself. And You combined these two commandments into one command, for they are inseparable. In this last questions and answer time before the cross, You made it clear of the importance and what is at the core of Your ministry; it is all about love.
Paul affirmed this,“Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” (Romans 13:8-10)
In the Ten Commandments, the first 4 are directed towards our relationship to God, the last 6 are directed towards our relationship with others. If I have a heart of love towards God I will not follow any other gods. If I have a heart of love towards everyone around me, I can’t steal, lie, gossip, covet, or hurt them. If I have a heart of love, I don’t have to worry about what all the laws are and if I am keeping them all, love is the fulfilling of all the laws. All I need is love.
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)
My family, I pray today you will meditate on the condition of you heart and embrace Jesus and allow Him to fill your heart with His love, so with the love you receive you can love God, love everyone around you, and people will know you are a disciple of Jesus. All we need is love in Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your thoughts and reflections in the comment box below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community, my family, and those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Thank You!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be high and lifted up, here in my heart and every moment of my day.
"Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when He is revealed, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. And all who have this hope in Him purify themselves, just as He is pure" (1 John 3:2-3).
Now Jesus, I am Your child--a child of God, a disciple of Jesus Christ, part of the bride and the body of Christ here on this earth and here in my generation. I don't have to wait until I get to heaven when I die or when You return at Your second coming. I am God's child now.
In the same way, You are already revealing who I am, what my true identity already is. I don't already see it all; I don't already see myself completely as You see me. But You are in the process of revealing my true identity to me more and more every day. And it happens as I see You as You are: "When (You are) revealed, (I) will be like (You), for (I) see (You) as (You are)" (v. 2).
Most teach this as an end time Scripture--something to be fulfilled when I stand in Your presence after I die and go to heaven or if I'm part of that generation on the earth when You return. This Scripture includes those events--whether it's the end time for the world or just the end time for me. "Just as we have borne the image of the son of dust, we will also bear the image of the Man of heaven.... we will all be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:49-52). But I believe Your Spirit is revealing to me that this Scripture is also for today and every day between now and that day to come as well.
Already You are at work in me, revealing to Me who You are and also who I am in You. Already this Word is being fulfilled: "And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed in to the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:17). Already You are pulling back the veil for me to see You and see myself as I truly am. And who I am is a child of God, being conformed into the image of the Son of God more and more every day, as I keep seeking You and You keep revealing Yourself to me (Romans 8:29).
Come, Holy Spirit. Keep opening the eyes of my heart--"so that, with the eyes of (my) heart enlightened, (I) may know what is the hope to which He has called (me), what are (my) riches of His glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power for us who believe, according to working of His great power" (Ephesians 1:18-19). More and more every day, may "the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give (me) a spirit of wisdom and revelation as (I) come to know Him" (Ephesians 1:17). This is what your Word says!
It has not yet been fully revealed to me just who I am and just who Christ is, but You are at work in me doing just that. By the power of Your grace, give me "a mind to understand, eyes to see, (and) ears to hear" along with the faith to believe it and receive it (Deuteronomy 29:2). I am God's child now (1 John 3:8). Let me see that in myself and let me see that in the children of God around me, being conformed into the image of Christ as we all see with greater revelation who Christ is, who we are in Christ, and who Christ is in us. "Christ in (us), the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). More and more every day, let me "see what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are"--our true identity (1 John 2:28). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, I pray you spend time today reading God’s Word for in it, it reveals who Christ is, it reveals who you true identity is in Christ and who Christ is in you! I pray you will open your eyes and heart and see more clearly every day who Christ is, who you are in Christ, and who Christ is in you, knowing fully the revelation of your true identity as a child of God, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your thoughts and reflections in the comment box below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community, my family, and those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Thank You!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Awaken my soul as I focus in on You first with all my heart and mind and soul and strength.
"Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, 'Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.' And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth" (Genesis 11:1-4).
I walked into the Waffle House yesterday morning as usual and I sat at the low-bar and listened in to the discussion those sitting there were having. I got in on the end of it, however it appears the conversation was about immigration and “foreigners” as the person talking ended the conversation by saying, “We are Americans, and America is the greatest country in the world, and if they don’t like it the can get the hell out!” Those at the bar cheered or nodded in unity together.
There's a false unity that's fueled by the human pride to "make a name for ourselves." It has its own language, with its own words. And it's purpose is to build its own kingdom. It seeks to exalt its tower of authority and power over the whole earth and into the heavens. It's inspired and empowered by the same spirit that says, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit on the mount of assembly on the heights of Zaphon; I will ascend to the tops of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High" (Isaiah 14:14).
It's the opposite of the true unity You desire--"the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:3). This is the "unity of the faith" as we put our faith in You instead of ourselves or our country, building Your kingdom instead of our own, humbly and willingly choosing to desperately dependent upon You alone for our true sense of identity and destiny (Ephesians 4:13). United in You and united with one another in our global bond of humility and faith, "there is one body and one Spirit, just as (we) were called to the one hope of (our) calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all" (Ephesians 4:4-6).
In the true unity of Your Spirit--where we exalt Your name instead of our own, living for You instead of ourselves--You pour out every blessing of heaven we'll ever need: "Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing--life forevermore!" (Psalm 133:1-3).
And in that spirit of unity, all the world will begin to see You--seeing You in us, as we abide in You and You abide in us as one body with one Lord, one faith, one God and Father of all. As the Son of God and Son of Man walking this earth in the flesh and blood of Your incarnation, You prayed to the Father this great prayer of unity: "As You, Father, are in Me and I am in You, may they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent me. The glory that You have given Me I have given them, so that they may be one as We are One, I in them and You in Me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that You have sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me" (John 17:21-23).
This is the true unity You long to see. This is the new world order You've envisioned from the beginning--the "new heavens and a new earth (Isaiah 65:17; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1). This is the one world government You passionately desire--the "government (that) will be upon (Your) shoulder... (and) of the increase of (Your) government and peace there will be no end" (Isaiah 9:6-7). In the unity of Your Spirit all, "the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Revelation 11:15) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family,I pray today you unite with Christ and promote His body of faith in the Holy Spirit as the one true source of unity with our Lord, one God and Father of all, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your thoughts and reflections in the comment box below.
I am leaving this afternoon for Nashville to attend Spiritual Leadership Incorporated, three-day Advanced Leadership Training. i will not be posting a reflection blog tomorrow or Friday but will start sending them out again next Monday. Spend time in the morning in the Word and prayer writing your own reflections!!
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community, my family, and those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Thank You!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name and listen for Your leading to begin my day embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with Your Holy Spirit.
"'For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,' says the Lord of hosts, 'that will leave them neither root nor branch. But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves. You shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I do this,' says the Lord of hosts" (Malachi 4:1-3 NKJV).
Finally! I knew there was a verse in the Bible somewhere that said "go out and grow fat!" Thank You, Lord for leading me to this verse today as I prepare to head out to the Waffle House!
All the advertisements I see and some of my friends and family say I'm supposed to go out to the gym and grow skinny. But no doubt, according to this verse, that would only lead me to be among "the proud" and find myself among the "stubble" instead of among the humble and hearty! Yes, Your ways are truly higher than our ways and Your thoughts are higher than our thoughts!
However, as I write my morning prayer today with a smile on my face, I know You are speaking something deeper. You're speaking of the blessings that come with obedience to You, flowing out of a trusting relationship with You. When we are among those with “fat faith,” "who fear (Your) name," who honor Your Word, who entrust their lives to the One who loves us and leads us in the paths of righteousness, "the Sun of Righteousness" arises in our lives. And even the enemy of our souls is trampled under our feet.
So, Lord, please forgive me for taking a little liberty and having a little fun with my morning prayer today! But after all, You are the One who said, "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (2 Corinthians 3:17) and "in Your presence is fullness of joy!" (Psalm 16:11) Forgiven and free, would You fill me afresh with Your Spirit today (Ephesians 5:18). By the power of Your grace, may I go out and grow fat in faith and the security of my identity in You, living into the fullness of the destiny of my blessings in You. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family,I pray you are filled with the joy of the Lord today, going out and growing fat in faith and the fullness of all He has for you and desires to do through you, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your thoughts and reflections in the comment box below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community, my family, and those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Thank You!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me begin this week and my day embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit.
"The Lord said to Moses, 'Cut two tablets of stone like the former ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets, which you broke. Be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai and present yourself there to Me, on the top of the mountain.... So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the former ones; and he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lord commanded him, and took in his hand the two tablets of stone. The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name, 'The Lord (YHWH)'" (Exodus 34:1-5).
O Lord, my God—Yahweh,Great I AM, Abba Father--I want to "be ready in the morning," this morning, in my time spent in prayer to come up to the mountain of Your Presence. In the communion of my heart in worship and prayer, please touch Your finger to the tablet of my heart and write Your will for my day I will journey along with you.
When Moses came down from the mountain, "the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God" (Exodus 34:24). And now through Jesus resurrection and the giving of His Holy Spirit, I never have to come down from the mountain or out of Your Presence (2 Corinthians 3:6; Luke 22:20). By Your great mercy and loving grace, I can be always ready, always available, always waiting on You and welcoming You, always embracing You and Your Presence with me--here in communion with my spirit, shining with the light of Your glory through my heart and the smile on my face. "For it is the God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, I pray through prayer you intentionally open your heart so it is always ready for the Presence of God, always available for His presence to fill your soul and flow through your life every day, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your thoughts and reflections in the comment box below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community, my family, and those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Thank You!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Here in my heart, here in the communion of prayer to begin my day, let me be embraced in my Father's arms, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit to begin my day well and live my day well, all in the power of Your grace and the intimacy of Your Presence.
"In Him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:25).
Lord, let there be less of the world in me and more of You in me. Let there be less of my will and more of Your will, less of my ways and more of Your ways. Instead of it being all about me, let it be all about You. Free me from myself and my selfishness so that I live and move and have my being in You rather than me.
That is my desire but how do I do that? By listening to your voice Jesus that tells me, "Turn Your attention to Me. Take time to look to Me and listen to Me in prayer and my Word. Sit silently before Me with your spirit actively worshipping Me and welcoming Me into union with you. Allow Me to put My thoughts in your mind and My desires in your heart so I can guide your steps in My ways as I walk with you on the journey of each day."
Yes, Lord. Let it be so! "Anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him" (1 Corinthians 6:17). As I abide in You, You abide in me (John 15:4). May it become "not longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me" (Galatians 2:20).
Give me a deeper hunger, even an insatiable yearning in my spirit, to become one spirit with You. By the power of Your grace, may I live and move and have my being in You--more and more, every day. "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with (us) all" (2 Corinthians 13:13). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family,I pray you pray this morning for a deeper hunger and insatiable yearning to live and move and be in the Lord. Through prayer and time in Scripture desire to be embraced by your Father, centered in Christ, and filled with His Holy Spirit, becoming more like Him and walking more closely with Him every day, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your thoughts and reflections in the comment box below.
Here is a link to the song "Yearn" by Shane and Shane that speaks into this morning's reflection.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community, my family, and those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Thank You!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I want to start my day in the center of Your will and surrounded by Your presence--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God.
"Whenever the unclean spirits saw (Jesus), they fell down before Him and shouted, 'You are the Son of God!' ... He went up the mountain and called to Him those whom He wanted, and they came to Him. And He appointed twelve, whom He also named apostles, to be with Him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message, and to have authority to cast out demons" (Mark 3:11-15).
Your first followers called to You and were sent out by You. They were Your disciples, Your apostles, appointed and anointed to grow in the nature of Your character and to go in the authority of Your name. They were not "the Son of God," but they were sons of God. And so are we--the sons and daughters of God, coming to You and being sent out by You (Romans 8:16). We're led by the same Spirit (Romans 8:14). And the same Spirit and power that raised You from the dead lives in us and flows through us to proclaim Your message of forgiveness and freedom, healing and hope, by Your authority and in Your power, everywhere You send us (Romans 8:11).
Just as the Father sent You, so You send us--filling us with Your Spirit and grounding us in Your Word (John 20:21). Our names are written in heaven and on the palms of Your hands (Isaiah 49:16). And in the authority and power of Your name, even the demons must submit to us and our position in You as disciples of Christ and children of God (Luke 10:19).
Thank You for the invitation to keep coming to You in the intimacy of prayer, Scriptures, and the communion of Your Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17). Thank You for the assurance of Your presence, that You are always with me, abiding in me as I abide in You (Matthew 28:20; John 15:4). And thank You for appointing me and anointing me to go with joy and faith, as You send me to be Your ambassador as an extension of Your Word and Your Spirit, secure in my identity and fulfilling my destiny. This is Your will and Your plan for every one of Your sons and daughters. And even all "creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God" (Romans 8:19). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, I pray you go in joy and faith everywhere today with the understanding that Jesus sends you in His authority and power. I pray you spend time in Scriptures and prayer growing in His nature and going in His name, appointed and anointed as a disciple of Christ and a child of God, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your thoughts and reflections in the comment box below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community, my family, and those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Thank You!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. King of kings and Lord of lords, be King and Lord of my heart and my life this day and every day
You're our Savior. And You're also our Example. You modeled for our us how to live and intimately disciple those around you. Your life on earth is a model for our life in You. You teach the way by showing us the way--how to live well, how to love well, even how to suffer well and ultimately die well. "For this (we) have been called, because Christ also suffered for (us), leaving (us) an example, so that (we) should follow in His steps" (1 Peter 2:18). "As He is, so are we in this world" (1 John 4:17).
Let Your Word come alive in my thoughts. Let Your Spirit arise in my heart. Let Your example be a compass for my soul in every choice I make along the journey of my day. Remind me every moment that I'm never alone. You're with me "always" (Matthew 28:20). And remind me every moment that I'm never on my own to try to live out this life in my own power, my own wisdom, or my own righteousness, but by the power of Your grace at work with me, making me more like You each day. "For God is working in (me), giving (me) the desire and the power to do what please Him" (Philippians 2:13 NLT).
So I look forward to start each day with You--to intentionally, deliberately welcome Your Spirit and Your Word and Your Presence into me and every moment of my day. In daily trust and surrender, "(my) life is hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:1). You're showing me the way to live every day in You--every day with Jesus. In Jesus' name pray. Amen.
My family, I pray you walk with Jesus every day--in His steps, by His example, in His Spirit with your life hidden with Christ in God, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your thoughts and reflections in the comment box below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community, my family, and those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Thank You!
“Then they came to Jerusalem. Jesus entered the temple area and began to drive out those who were selling and buying in the temple courts. He turned over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, and he would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. Then he began to teach them and said, “Is it not written: ʻMy house will be called a house of prayer for all nationsʼ? But you have turned it into a den of robbers!” (Mark 11:15-17)
Anyone who heard Jesus’ teaching who was fairly well read in the Scriptures, when they heard Jesus say, “But you have turned it into a den of robbers,” their mind would have instantly gone to Jeremiah 7. That is where my mind is drawing me to. That haunting, convicting, condemning cry of God through the lips of Jeremiah as he stands at the entrance of the Temple. Replacing the word “Temple” for “church” I picture Jeremiah standing at the doors of my church crying out to those worshipping inside with arms raised singing “Mighty to Save”;
“This is what the Lord of heavenly forces, the God of Israel, says: Improve your conduct and your actions, and I will dwell with you in this place. 4 Don’t trust in lies: “This is the Lord’s (church)! The Lord’s (church)! The Lord’s (church)!” 5 No, if you truly reform your ways and your actions; if you treat each other justly; 6 if you stop taking advantage of the immigrant, orphan, or widow; if you don’t shed the blood of the innocent in this place, or go after other gods to your own ruin, 7 only then will I dwell with you in this place, in the land that I gave long ago to your ancestors for all time.
8 And yet you trust in lies that will only hurt you. 9 Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, sacrifice to Baal and go after other gods that you don’t know, 10 and then come and stand before me in this (church) that bears my name, and say, “We are safe,” only to keep on doing all these detestable things?11 Do you regard this (church), which bears my name, as a hiding place for criminals? I can see what’s going on here, declares the Lord. 12 Just go to my sanctuary in Shiloh, where I let my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel. 13 And now, because you have done all these things, declares the Lord, because you haven’t listened when I spoke to you again and again or responded when I called you, 14 I will do to this (church) that bears my name and on which you rely, the place that I gave to you and your ancestors, just as I did to Shiloh. 15 I will cast you out of my sight, just as I cast out the rest of your family, all the people of Ephraim.” (Jeremiah 7:3-15)
God was not upset with them because of the way they worshipped inside a church building, He was upset with them because of the way they lived their lives outside of the church building. He did not condemn us for raising our hands singing “Mighty To Save” in an hour church service, but for using our hands the rest of the hours in the week towards, “Mighty is Me”: hording “stuff” and wealth, selfishly taking care of our wants and needs, withholding support and resources from the homeless, orphans and widows, patting ourselves on the back with pride. He did not have a problem with their hour of worship, but their lack of a life of obedience. The measure of a Christian is not how high he can raise his hands and shout “Alleluia!” in a church gathering, but how straight and true his daily walk is with Christ. God is not dumb of blind. “I can see what’s going on here, declares the Lord” (v.11). He sees right through your acts of worship on Sunday and at church gatherings and He knows your heart and your true level of obedience to Him, “because you have not listened when I spoke to you again and again or responded when I called you.” (v.13). Nothing, not church attendance records, programs attended, service hours, saying a sinners prayer long ago, Nothing; can substitute for actual obedience to, and a right relationship with God.
God said it through Jeremiah in Jeremiah chapter 7, Jesus says it himself again in Matthew chapter 7. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ (Those worshipping in the Temple in Jeremiah 7) will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will (obeys) of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” (Matthew 7:21-23)
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” (John 3:36)
My family, I pray you will reflect and allow the Holy Spirit to speak into you regarding your level of obedience to God. Allow the Spirit to strip away your comfort and false assurance in the hour or two spent weekly in Sunday school and worship, or other weekday programs or classes, and see what is revealed about your true daily obedience and righteous relationship to God. In Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your thoughts and reflections in the comment box below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community, my family, and those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Thank You!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. As I begin a new week, for me and my house, I seek to serve You, Lord. I seek to honor You and worship You, entrusting my life to You and loving You with all my heart and mind and soul and strength--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21).
Jesus, as I read Your words this morning it made me reflect: Do I treasure You, Lord? Do I truly treasure Your Word in my heart? (Psalm 119:11) Do I put You first--first in my thoughts, first in my desires, first in my choices and with no other gods before You? (Exodus 20:3) Do I seek first the kingdom of God and Your righteousness before seeking to build my own kingdom, my own popularity, and seek after all the trappings of the false treasures the kingdoms of this world have to offer? (Matthew 6:33) ...
And in my silence You speak in my heart: "My son, I AM your Treasure. It is true that at times I am not what you treasure most in the moment, but you are willing to let Me remind you of your true treasure--that your name is written in My book of life, that My Spirit lives in your heart, that you are My child, My disciple, and even My friend, living every day throughout all eternity in personal, passionate relationship with Me. And you remember that there are no greater treasures then these."
Thank You Lord for Your patience with me. Thank you Lord for all Your mercy and grace for me, for Your unfailing, everlasting love for me. Help me treasure You more every day, beginning with today. By the power of Your grace, may I faithfully "guard the good treasure entrusted to (me), with the help of the Holy Spirit living in (me)" (2 Timothy 1:14). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family,I pray you treasure the One who lives in you and knows you intimately as His child and disciple and friend. I pray you spend time with Jesus in His Word and prayer so you can live today and every day throughout all eternity in a deeply personal, passionate relationship with Him, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your thoughts and reflections in the comment box below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community, my family, and those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Thank You!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God--I worship in every dimension of Your Being and welcome You into every dimension of my being--spirit, soul, and body.
Yesterday I drove three men to a camp where they will spend this weekend on a Walk to Emmaus retreat. In Montgomery this same weekend is being he'd a similar weekend retreat called Paseo. This three men and those others attending the retreats this weekend are desiring to encounter Jesus and be sanctified more entirely as they conform their lives more to Christ.
"May the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do this" (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).
You are the God of peace, the God of shalom. By the power of Your grace You bless me and anoint me and empower me to be at peace with You, at peace with one another, and at peace within myself.
And by the power of Your grace, Your Holy Spirit is at work within me to purify and sanctify me in my spirit, in my soul, and in my body. And not just a little bit, but entirely, wholly, and completely. I believe you can obtain complete sanctification in this life, that is the message of the cross. You are faithful and You will do this, because this is Your will for me--that I would be entirely surrendered so that I could be entirely sanctified. "For this is the will of God, (my) sanctification.... For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness" (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7).
By the power of Your grace that I desperately need every moment of every day, I want to be "kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." Your blood cleanses my sins as I admit them and turn them over to You (1 John 1:9). And Your Holy Spirit keeps sanctifying my soul as I keep surrendering my mind and will and emotions to You and Your mind, Your will, and Your emotions--filling me up to the degree that I keep making more room for You (Ephesians 5:18). "For God is working in (me), giving (me) the desire and the power to do what pleases Him" (Philippians 2:13 NLT).
So as best as I can and all by Your grace, I willing choose to entrust as much of me to You as I can and to receive as much of You within me as I can. Baptize me with Your Holy Spirit and Your holy fire (Matthew 3:11; Acts 1:4). Consume everything in me that's not yet like You (Matthew 5:48). Conform me into the image of the Son of God (Romans 8:29).
Lord Jesus, make me more like You each day. Come and keep baptizing me with Your Holy Spirit, keep setting me ablaze with the fire of Your passion, keep sanctifying me entirely in spirit and soul and body, keep perfecting me in Your love, and keep empowering me by Your Presence! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family,I pray you desire to continually be sanctified entirely in the fire and power of the Holy Spirit, so that you be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ by the One who is faithfull and who will do this in you, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Please share your thoughts and reflections in the comment box below.
No Blog Posts Next Week
My wife Nancy and I will be flying to San Francisco next week to spend time with Francis Chan and his "We Are Church" network intensive simple church training in downtown San Francisco. We will hit the streets early and return in the evening so I will not post my blog next week.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community, my family, and those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Thank You!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Good Shepherd, help me hear Your voice here in my heart to begin my day centered in You.
"But the path of the righteous is like a light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.... Keep straight the path of your feet, and all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil" (Proverbs 4:18-27).
If I'm walking in Your ways, my path should be getting "brighter and brighter." My spirit and my steps should be straight and steady. And if my path is not getting brighter and my steps have swerved and are no longer steady, I should be quick to humble my heart to cry out to You and ask for Your help and correction and guidance. And You'll be quick to lead me back to the place where I got off Your path so I can continue on with my journey in Your will. You're the God who makes my path straight and my steps secure (Psalm 40:2).
Come guide my steps today. Give me the discernment and wisdom to recognize if my path is growing "brighter and brighter." I don't want to take any detours on the way to my destiny. I need you to be my inner “GPS” that keeps my feet from turning towards evil. "Keep my steps steady according to Your promise" (Psalm 119:133). And I thank You for Your promise that "our steps are made firm by the Lord, when He delights in our way; (even) though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the Lord holds us by the hand" (Psalm 23:23). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family,I pray this morning you will look at you path and cry out to God for any corrections needed to where you are swerving. Then your path will grow brighter and brighter before you each day, as the Lord orders your steps and guides you into the fullness of His will and your destiny in Him, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your thoughts and reflections in the comment box below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community, my family, and those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Thank You!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. You're one with the Father and one with the Holy Spirit; be one within me, as I abide in You and You abide in me.
"Let me hear of Your steadfast love in the morning, for in You I put my trust. Teach me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul.... Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. Let Your good Spirit lead me on a level path" (Psalm 143:8-10).
I settle in to my place of prayer and center in with my focus on You. I lift up my heart and open up my spirit, as I greet You and welcome You into the moments of my day. "Good morning, Lord Jesus."
I could say, "Good morning, heavenly Father" or "Come, Holy Spirit" or "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come!" But for going on three years now (time flies), from when I first began to journal my morning prayer, this has been my simple way to focus my heart and begin my day centered in You--embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with Your Holy Spirit.
And every morning is a good morning because Your good Spirit is with me--to love me and lead me on the level path of life in You, to teach me and tell me the ways of Your will--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. You put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart. You take me by hand and lead me by the heart on my journey of faith that begins each day in worship and prayer, in trusting surrender and faithful obedience.
In these morning moments of deep communion in prayer, You begin my daily journey of making me more like You, as I intentionally, deliberately entrust my soul again completely to You. "For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord--who is the Spirit--make us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image" (2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NLT).
If you are reading this reflection this morning I want to let you know I never intended my morning reflections to be a substitute or replacement for you personally spending time in the morning searching the Scriptures, reflecting on God’s Word, and in prayer. I put them out to remind you of the necessity of daily time in the Bible and prayer, and encourage you to begin or continue your own personal devotional time with God. To go back and re-read the Scripture passages in the reflections God gives me and allow Him to create reflections in you. And truthfully, if time is an issue and you have to choose between time to read my reflections and prayers, or your personal time reading the Word and in prayer, I’d rather you spent personal time in the Word and prayer, and so would God.
My family, I pray you experience the peace, joy and transformation of the Presence of God--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--as YOU intentionally, deliberately entrust your soul to Him every morning in God’s Word and prayer, to ground you in His truth and love throughout the moments of your day, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
If these morning reflections have encouraged you to begin or continue in daily time in the word, please share your thoughts in the comment box below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community, my family, and those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Thank You!
Good morning Father, Son, and Spirit, I claim your presence in my life as I begin my week so I can impact those I meet this with your love and grace.
“They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem. Jesus was going ahead of them, and they were amazed, but those who followed were afraid…” (Mark 10:32)
“But those who followed were afraid…” When was the last time you were afraid to follow Jesus? When was the last time you made a decision to follow Jesus knowing it would cost you something? When was the last time you obeyed His call to follow knowing it would be hard, difficult, uncomfortable and you would not get anything out of it but the satisfaction of being obedient?
We in America live and worship in a form of “ comfortable church” and easy discipleship that is absence of fear. We follow Jesus to comfortable worship buildings and Sunday school classrooms with comfortable chairs and AC. We follow Jesus to Wednesday night suppers. And we follow Jesus not with the His understanding that "church" is walking in public confronting and encountering others with the Gospel, but by isolating ourselves from our community and driving in comfortable cars, listening to Casting Crowns, drinking Starbucks and insulating ourselves from those who are around us in the cars and homes we are passing, to go to a safe and comfortable "church."
Fear does not enter into our decision not to follow Jesus, comfort does. Asking the question, "When was the last time you did not follow Jesus out of fear?" may not be applicable to us. However the question, "When was that last time you did not follow Jesus for lack of comfort?, does apply to most of us. If it is raining outside, we stay home. If we had a hard day at work, we stay home. If we just don’t feel like it today, we stay home.
We don’t talk to people we encounter in our work day about Jesus because it makes us “uncomfortable.” We don’t know our neighbors and invite them into our relationship with Jesus because it make us uncomfortable. Yet those people actually attend your "church", those you meet along along the way as you follow Jesus. Read Mark 10:32 again. "Church" was those those they met along the way as they followed Jesus.
My family, I pray as you follow Jesus on your way today, you follow Him in a way that makes you afraid, or at least makes you uncomfortable. In Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your thoughts and reflections in the comment box below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community, my family, and those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Thank You!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Arise in Your resurrection power in my life today.
"Then He breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit'" (John 20:22 NLT).
Breathe on me, O Breath of God. Let Your Spirit fill my lungs with praise. Let your Breath fill my mouth with Your words. Let Your Presence abide in my soul.
Breathe on me, Lord. Breathe new life, fresh passion, renewed determination to seek Your face, to follow Your ways, to be the child of God and disciple of Christ You created me and called me to be--not in my strength but in Your power, not in my goodness but in Your righteousness.
I desperately need You. I breathlessly await You. Prayer is the life breath for Christians. We breathe through prayer or we die. So increase my capacity to breathe You in as You breathe on me. Reveal and help me remove any restrictions in my heart and mind to the inflow of your breath. Fill me afresh that You can overflow anew through me this day and this next season of my life in You. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, I pray you take time this morning to simply breath. Breath in the breath of God and be filled afresh and overflow anew with His life and love flowing out of you, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your thoughts and reflections in the comment box below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community, my family, and those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Thank You!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be at the center of my life and every moment of my day.
"Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God" (Romans 8:12-14 NLT).
Jesus, today, like everyday, I will have encounters and decisions I'll need to face. Some I know of already and have a deadline to make a decision, others I do not know yet and I will face when the situation arises. In all of these encounters and decisions, I will have the opportunity to choose to be led by the sinful nature of my flesh or the righteous nature of Your Spirit. My flesh--grounded in my own selfishness and self-centeredness-- will urge me to make one choice, while Your Spirit--grounded in Your Word and Your will--will urge me to make different choice. As a child of God, I want to make right choices led by the right Spirit. As a child God, I want to be "led by the Spirit of God" (Romans 8:14).
So here at the beginning of my day, I want to be centered in You--grounded in Your Word, filled with Your Spirit, embraced in the communion of Your Presence. I'm asking You to put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart, so when the opportunities to make my choices come, I'm already connected with You, abiding in You as You abide in me (John 15:4).
Then listening for Your leading and seeking to discern Your direction, I'll be able to more clearly sense Your will and Your ways in every decision I'll make. Then "when (I) turn to the right or when (I) turn to the left, (my) ears shall hear a voice behind (me), saying, 'This is the way; walk in it'" (Isaiah 30:21). This is one of the greatest gifts and most precious, powerful blessings of God; to be led by the Spirit of God as a child of God. So Holy Spirit of God, come lead me today throughout every choice and decision I will make. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, I pray you begin this day and every day centered in Christ--grounded in the Word of God, filled with the Spirit of God, and embraced in the communion of God--so you can clearly discern His will and His ways in every decision you will face today, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your thoughts and reflections in the comment box below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community, my family, and those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Thank You!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. As deep calls to calls, my spirit calls to Your Spirit in the deep communion of prayer. Help me begin my day embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit.
"But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, 'We have seen the Lord!' But he said to them, 'Unless I see the mark of the nails in His hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in His side, I will not believe.' A week later His disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.' Then He said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here and see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it in My side. Do not doubt but believe.' Thomas answered Him, 'My Lord and my God!' Jesus said to him, 'Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those have not seen and yet have come to believe'" (John 20:24-28).
I like Thomas, I see a lot of me in him. What some would call doubt, I would call determined discernment, insistence upon truth, a high value for un-flaky faith, keeping it real. Before I was a minister, I was a General Contractor. Things had to be true to the blue prints, architecturally sound, and built right. And as I began to grow in my faith, it was important to me to believe what was true before I could preach it or teach it as true. And I suppose after these many years of my personal journey of faith, I'm still that way.
But like Thomas, what's helped me so much in my journey of faith are my personal encounters with You Jesus. Thomas' personal encounter with the risen Lord made him a believer. And it's the same with me.
I've encountered You in the midst of my guilt and shame where I've deeply regretted what I've done. In Your resurrection power, You forgave me and empowered me to forgive myself and cleanse me from my shame. I've encountered You in the midst of so many moments of failure and heartache, of feeling rejected and unloved, of being misunderstood and judged, of confusion and frustration, of finding myself weary, discouraged, and worn out, and in so many more of those moments when I wish I could just put my finger in Your hands and my hand in Your side. But every time, You've put Your hands around my heart and breathed Your Spirit into my life to lift me up and dust me off and send me along with even more faith, more trust, and more love for You than ever before. Every one of my personal encounters with You have made me a believer, believing even more strongly in every encounter.
In that powerful moment of Your undeniable Presence, You turned all of Thomas' wavering doubts into a bold declaration of faith--"My Lord and my God!" It's actually the highest and most direct declaration from any person in all the Bible that Jesus is Lord and God. And it's a boldness of faith that never left him after that encounter. Thomas was martyred in India for his faith with a spear through his heart that never stopped loving You or beating passionately for You to preach Your Word and minister in the power of Your name until the day he died.
I love how You take our greatest weaknesses and turn them into our greatest strengths. In the very places where we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the power of Your grace, You give us authority and passion in Your Spirit to testify to Your love and help others encounter the One who's done so much for us. I love how You turn sinners into saints, brokenness into breakthrough, and even General Contrators into preachers! Thank You for turning my doubts into declarations and my failures into faith. Lord Jesus--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--You are "my Lord and my God!" And I love You with all my heart and offer all my life to You again this day. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, I pray today you will seek personal encounters with the risen Lord that will turn your doubts into declarations and your failures into faith, with a passion to love and serve your Lord and your God with all your heart, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your thoughts and reflections in the comment box below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.communityWebsite: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community, my family, and those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Thank You!