Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name and listen for Your voice, for Your sheep hear Your voice (John 10:3); and the sons and daughters of God are led by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14). ...
As I read these words and now sit meditating and waiting, what comes to my heart -- into my spirit and intto mind, in the communication of Your Heart to my heart, Your Spirit to my spirit -- is this:
“Draw near to Me. Pursue Me. Press in to Me. Position yourself to hear Me and trust Me and obey Me, as I put My thoughts in your mind and My desires in your heart. This is how I change you into My image and transform you with My mind renewing your mind.” ...
Yes, Lord. I know every word I ever believe I’m hearing in my heart must be tested against the Word of God as my Plumb Line and Standard (1 Thessalonians 5:21). And this written Word immediately comes to mind to confirm Your spoken word:
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God -- what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1-2).
And this:
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Discipline yourselves; keep alert...” (1 Peter 5:6-8).
The transforming and renewing of my mind does not “just happen.” The peace Jesus offers over my life “that passes all understanding” over the anxieties and chaos in my life I do not receive without being present with You to receive it. Your Word tells me that “Entering into the “Kingdom of God” and receiving all the blessings and grace you offer me in all things and areas of my life does not happen unless I “Seek You first.”
So this morning by the leading of Your Spirit and in the power of Your grace, I do choose to intentionally position myself to hear You and trust You and obey You. I do choose to humble myself before You in prayer, to press in to You in worship, to allow You to change my nature into Your nature, my character into Your character, and transform me by the renewing of my mind. I do choose to be positioned to be changed by the Presence of God.
Let this be my discipline in obedience and submission to Your discipleship. In this way, may You make me more like You each day (Romans 8:29). For as You are, so are we to be in our world (1 John 4:17). Lord, let it be so in me and in the heart of every soul who is called by Your name -- day by day, step by step, morning by morning, “from glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18). In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
My family, I pray you may intentionally position yourself to be changed by the Presence of God, to be conformed into His image and participate in His nature, from glory to glory, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your reflections and prayers with us on this blog 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
Help Us Help Them!
My wife Nancy and I are in a new season of our ministry of pouring completely into planting and growing simple house churches in our neighborhoods, and having “boots on the ground” serving in our community.. Please pray over this season in my life and that of my family. 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 Thank You!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I turn to You -- "looking to Jesus" -- to run the race set before me today (Hebrews 12:1-2). ...
On the first floor of the condo on the beach we are staying at there is a dry erase board on which a condo staff member writes down the events at the condo for that day. Written on it this morning across the bottom was “Enjoy and take plenty of “Vitamin Sea” today! “
I smiled at this and then reflected on it.
Vitamin C.
Vitamin C is "Christ in (me), the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). Christ in me, shining Your Light through me, letting Your Rivers of Living Water flow through me, allowing Your Power and Love to be manifest all around me, because Your abiding Presence dwells within me. "(I am) not in the flesh; (I am) in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in (me). Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him. But if Christ is in (me), though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in (me), He who raised Christ from the dead will give life to (my) mortal body also through His Spirit that dwells in (me)" (Romans 8:9-11).
This morning, sitting here with my Bible open I'm taking in my Vitamin C, Lord. And by the power of Your grace -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God -- my immune system will be strong and I will "be in good health." As the Apostle John prayed for those entrusted to his care, "Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul.... I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in truth.... that we may become co-workers with the truth.... Peace be to you" (3 John 2:15). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family,may you take time today to take in plenty of Vitamin C so that you may be in good health, spiritually, mentally and physically. May this dose of Vitamin C in you cause you to prosper even as your soul prospers, and may you be the hands and feet of Jesus, revealing the love and heart of our Father, all in the power of the Holy Spirit as witness of our God in our world, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. King of kings and Lord of lords, be King of my heart and Lord of my life, as I begin my day in communion with You. ...
“I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:19).
My family and I came to the beach Saturday with some friends. Yesterday we spent a wonderful day on the beach. I got up this morning and walked down to the beach to set up our chairs and umbrellas. I looked at the sand and though we spent a wonderful, full day yesterday ton the same spot of beach I was now standing: laughing, talking, eating, drinking, and enjoying our time together; this morning there was no trace that we had even been there. The waves of the incoming time had smoothed the sand and erased any signs of the previous day. The waves had prepared the sand “New” for today. I’m reminded that the Bible often speaks of new beginnings.
Lord, give me eyes to see the “new thing” You’re doing -- in me, around me, in my world, in the Body and Bride of Christ. Give me ears to hear what Your Spirit is speaking to Your Church, what Your Spirit is speaking to me. And give me courage to embrace it, faith to believe it, and grace to make it my own.
Where there’s been a wilderness, You’re making a way. Where there’s been a desert, You’re releasing Your river to flow.
By the power of Your grace, let me perceive it; let me receive it. Don’t leave me out of it! And do everything You need to do in me for me to be in the middle of it! ...
As I wait and listen for Your response to the cry of my heart, what comes to mind immediately is the Promise of Your Word:
“But as it is written:
Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’
“But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:9-12).
O Lord. We have no idea the depth of the things of God about to spring up in this “new thing” You’re doing in this time of new beginnings. But Your Spirit is beginning to reveal it and the world can no longer conceal it.
And I’m all in! I’m not holding back! I’m full of expectant faith and confident hope in You -- the God of new beginnings and faithful endings! He who began a good work in me, and in all Your Body and Bride for all the world to see, will be faithful to complete it until the day of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
My family, may you sense the waves of God’s grace washing over you this morning, smoothing out the uneven areas of your life and preparing it for a brand new day today! May you be filled with expectant faith and confident hope in the new things the Lord is revealing by His Spirit and doing in your life and His people for the glory of His name, all in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your reflections and prayers with us on this blog 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
Help Us Help Them!
My wife Nancy and I are in a new season of our ministry of pouring completely into planting and growing simple house churches in our neighborhoods, and having “boots on the ground” serving in our community.. Please pray over this season in my life and that of my family. 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 Thank You!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Here at the first of this new year, be first place in my heart, with Your Presence the first thought in mind and Your name the first word I speak. ...
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2).
As my wife Nancy and I are beginning this new season of ministry God is calling us into, We have started cleaning out and removing the things in our house and garage that we have collected and are clinging to that are taking up space, weighing us down, and require our time and attention. Yesterday, in a time of prayer and conversation with a spiritual brother, he also confirmed how the things that once seemed important and that he could not get along without, as he is drawing closer to God, they no longer hold an attraction to him.
I have also been paying over removing and laying aside the “spiritual” weights that are/would slow me down and the sin that would trip me up. I want to “run with perseverance the race that God is now setting before (me)” and I want to run this race “in such a way that (I) may win” the prize, as Your Word compels me (1 Corinthians 9:24).
And in the kingdom of God, the way to win the prize is by letting go of what lies behind and taking hold of what lies ahead. As the Apostle Paul said:
“Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us then who are mature be of the same mind...” (Philippians 3:12-15).
And “the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus” is that I become more like Jesus -- conformed to the image of the Son of God (Romans 8:29), as He is so am I to be in this world (1 John 4:17). I become more like Him, as I behold Him and the Holy Spirit transforms me into the image of Christ from glory to glory, morning by morning, one day at a time (2 Corinthians 3:18).
So my family, that’s the race I’m determined on running. That’s the race I want to win -- as best as I can and all by and relying on the grace of God -- “looking to Jesus.” So by the same mercy and power of Your grace, I’m letting go of physical, mental, and spiritual “Stuff” that once attracted me yesterday, and taking hold of my new revelation of you and my calling today, to run my race well. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
My family, may you be set free of all that would weigh you down or trip you up as you run the race set before you that you are called by Jesus to run, so that you may become more like Jesus every day, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections and prayers with us on this blog 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
Help Us Help Them!
My wife Nancy and I are in a new season of our ministry of pouring completely into planting and growing simple house churches in our neighborhoods, and having “boots on the ground” serving in our community.. Please pray over this season in my life and that of my family. 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 Thank You!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me begin this day and every day embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. ...
“When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5).
Every Tuesday evening we have a simple gathering of church in our home. Last night we opened our Bibles and discussed Matthew 17:14-21 which was the main passage of my reflection yesterday. When we circled up to close in prayer, my short prayer was “I can do nothing without Jesus.”
My heart elaborates on that simple prayer this morning. Not my words, but Your words. Not my wisdom, but Your power. Not lofty aspirations or the popular philosophies of the day clothed in politically correct language and socially acceptable standards dumbed down to the lowest common denominator. But “Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.”
Only Jesus. Simply Jesus. No one but Jesus.
“There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Romans 1:16).
The Message of the Cross is always at the heart and the power of God. There’s no true “demonstration of the Spirit and of power” without faithfully declaring “Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.”
The Message of “Him crucified” is Message of Him raised in resurrection power and resurrection glory from His crucifixion. The Blood of the Cross is the victory of Christ. “For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him (in the Lord Jesus Christ), and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the Blood of His Cross” (Colossians 1:20).
That peace of God is a demonstration of the power of God by the Spirit of God that we can only experience through the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Out of that peace comes the ability to heal as in Matt. 17:14-21. Out of that peace comes our healing, freedom, and the fullness of our salvation -- not just in Heaven when we die, but also here in our hearts now.
So Jesus, let my words be Your words today. Let my heart be one with Your heart today. Let all I say and I all I do be rooted and grounded, centered and focused on You alone, Lord Jesus Christ. And let there be “a demonstration of the Spirit and of power” everywhere You send me today with Your Message of healing and hope, forgiveness and freedom, available to all through the Cross of Christ. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
My family, may you experience and share a demonstration of the Spirit and of power in your life and everywhere you go today, with Jesus in your heart and His Message at the heart of all you do and say, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your reflections and prayers with us on this blog 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
Help Us Help Them!
My wife Nancy and I are in a new season of our ministry of pouring completely into planting and growing simple house churches in our neighborhoods, and having “boots on the ground” serving in our community.. Please pray over this season in my life and that of my family. 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 Thank You!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Make more like You today, by the power of Your grace at work within me (Romans 8:29). ...
“Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
save me, and I shall be saved;
for You are my praise” (Jeremiah 17:14).
You are our praise, O Lord. And You are at work in ways we don’t always see, speaking words we don’t always hear, moving in ways we don’t always feel. But You invite us to praise even before we see the power. You invite us to breakout in worship even before we see the breakthrough.
When we praise, You lift us up into Your embrace. When we praise, You get our eyes on You and off of what we’re going through. We don’t ignore the challenges, because the challenges are real. But we don’t give the challenges first place in our hearts and minds; we give You the place of honor and authority and glory and praise only You deserve.
You say, “Come up here with me.” You lift up our hearts. You lift up our spirits. You embrace us in the place where abide in You and You abide in us, “raised up with (You) and seated with (You) in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6). In that heavenly place of Your embrace, where we’re in Christ and Christ is in us, we’re seated “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come” (Ephesians 1:21). In that heavenly place, we “set our hope on Christ” and “live for the praise of (Your) glory” where we’re “marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:11-14).
Praise puts us in that heavenly place. Praise opens the eyes of our hearts and the ears of our spirits to experience the heavenly place where we’re already abiding in You -- far above sickness and sorrow, discouragement and despair, hopelessness and heaviness, weariness and worry, and every other name that would try to exalt itself above You and who we are in You and who You are in us.
Praise is a powerful key of the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 16:19). Praise is a mighty “weapon of our warfare” with “divine power to destroy strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4). Praise is a breakthrough battle axe that dismantles and destroys everything that would stand between us and our inheritance in You (Jeremiah 51:20). Praise is a spiritual sword in our hand that cuts off the heads and breaks off the chains of our spiritual enemies as we trust in You no matter what we see, as Your Word powerfully proclaims in Psalm 149:
“Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song,
His praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in its Maker;
let the children of Zion rejoice in their King.
Let them praise His name with dancing,
making melody to Him with tambourine and lyre.
For the Lord takes pleasure in His people;
He adorns the humble with victory.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy on their couches.
Let the high praises of God be in their throats
and two-edged swords in their hands,
to execute vengeance on the nations
and punishment on the peoples,
to bind their kings with fetters
and their nobles with chains of iron,
to execute on them the judgment decreed.
This is glory for all His faithful ones.
Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 149:1-9)
In Jesus’ name I praise! And In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
My family, may your mouth be filled with the high praises of God, as He lifts you into the heavenly place of His embrace where You're already abiding in Him and He's abiding in you, far above everything you're facing, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your thoughts, reflections, questions, or prayers with us 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
Help Us Help Them!
My wife Nancy and I are in a new season of our ministry of pouring completely into planting and growing simple house churches in our neighborhoods, and having “boots on the ground” serving in our community.. Please pray over this season in our life and that of our family. support and partner with my self and my family as we serve those God crosses our path with in our community with your one-time or monthly financial gift by clicking link below. Thank you!
CLICK HERE TO GIVE
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I welcome You here in my heart and every moment of my day. ...
“Come and hear, all you who fear God,
and I will tell what He has done for me.
I cried aloud to Him,
and He was extolled with my tongue.
If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
But truly God has listened;
He has given heed to the words of my prayer.
Blessed be God,
because He has not rejected my prayer
or removed His steadfast love from me” (Psalm 66:16-20).
I am in Cleveland, Ohio helping move my father from one assisted living home to another. Being in the assisted living homes I have had several conversations with the seniors who live in them. In my conversations with them I am always amazed at their honest responses. Sometimes they make me laugh, sometimes they make me think “Woe! TMI! However in their senior years they have removed the “socially accepted filters” and basically without any shame or pride, just tell it as it is.
Jesus, this reminds me that we can be honest with You -- with our iniquities and with our needs. We can open up to You and cry out to You -- without any fear that You won’t listen or stop loving. You don’t reject our prayers and You don’t remove Your love. You’re the God who sees and listens and cares.
But we also can try to deceive you and deceive ourselves. We’re tempted to cover up our shame and wounds, to hide behind our fears in isolation or secrecy from what’s going on inside and behind the walls we’ve built. In trying to protect ourselves in our own way, our own strength, we’re really pulling ourselves away from You in the very places where we need You the most. If we are not real with You, we cannot receive the real help You want to give us. The only thing required on our part is to humble ourselves to turn to You and open up to You.
So You reach out. You draw us near. And You remind us that You love us and never reject us. You encourage us that You’re for us. And if God be for us, who can stand against us.
But we have to respond. We have to cry out. We have to ask for Your help and be willing to receive it. A true relationship of love with You requires that we always have the freedom from You to love You or not, to open up to You or not, to turn to You and cry out to You, and make our prayers and needs known to You or not.
I remember the last time I traveled by aircraft and I was going through the checkpoint at the airport. I showed the officer my passport and my boarding pass, waiting on the green light and ready to go through the security gate. But he asked me first, “Please lower your mask, so I can see your face.”
What a picture that is for us. You invite us to lower our mask, to let down our walls, to open our hearts and let You see us as we are -- face to Face, heart to Heart. Then as You meet us where we are and remind us who You are and whose we are, we can go through the gates that are set before us. We’re secure in Your love as we travel through our world, knowing You even as we are known.
So I let down my mask to You. I open up my heart to You. I welcome You into my morning and every moment of my day. By the mercy of Your grace and unfailing love, I can be honest with everything going on inside of me because You’ve made me unafraid and unashamed to open up and go everywhere with You -- the One who sees me and knows all about me and yet keeps on loving me and travelling with me every day of my journey. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
My family, may you be secure in the steadfast love of our God, who sees you and loves you and knows all about you, freeing you to be honest and open with Him about all you need, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your thoughts, reflections, questions, or prayers with us 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
Help Us Help Them!
My wife Nancy and I are in a new season of our ministry of pouring completely into planting and growing simple house churches in our neighborhoods, and having “boots on the ground” serving in our community.. Please pray over this season in our life and that of our family. support and partner with my self and my family as we serve those God crosses our path with in our community with your one-time or monthly financial gift by clicking link below. Thank you!
CLICK HERE TO GIVE
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Rule and reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords in my heart and my life and every moment of my day. ...
"Beloved, we are confident of better things in your case, things that belong to salvation. For God is not unjust; He will not overlook your work and the love that you showed for His sake in serving the saints, as you still do. And we want each one of you to show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope to the very end, so that you may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises" (Hebrews 6:9-12).
On the same day we celebrated the birth and blessings of our country, we were reminded by the shootings at Highland Park and protests over the police shooting in Akron that our country has a sickness in its soul. Even with these shootings, protests over supreme court decisions, and rising inflation; Even when it seems our world is being tossed to and fro on the seas and ready crash hard on the rocks with the war in Ukraine, the shooting of Shinzo Abe, and tensions in Korea and the Middle East; Even with all that’ going on in our world right now, we can be "confident of better things" to come. You steady our hearts with Your "full assurance of hope to the very end."
You don't "overlook" us; You see us. You're not ignoring us; You're at work within us. You see our work; You know our love; You remind us to remember that You're the One who is at work within us and the One who loves through us by Your Spirit to be "imitators" of You.
Looking to You, taking hold of You, letting You take hold of us, we find our security and strength to withstand the turmoil and turbulence of our days. "We who have taken refuge (in You are) strongly encouraged to seize the hope set before us. We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus, a Forerunner on our behalf, has entered..."
(from Hebrews 6:17-20).
By the power of Your grace, I choose to "seize the hope" that is set before me today. I "seize" the One who is my Hope, the One who is my Rock, my Refuge, my Strong Tower, and my Strength forever. And in that Hope, in my hope in You, I am "confident of better things" to come and better days ahead. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, may you be confident of better things to come and better days ahead, as You keep looking to the One who is your Hope and letting Him take hold of you, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your thoughts, reflections, questions, or prayers with us 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
Help Us Help Them!
My wife Nancy and I are in a new season of our ministry of pouring completely into planting and growing simple house churches in our neighborhoods, and having “boots on the ground” serving in our community.. Please pray over this season in our life and that of our family. support and partner with my self and my family as we serve those God crosses our path with in our community with your one-time or monthly financial gift by clicking link below. Thank you!
CLICK HERE TO GIVE
Good morning, Lord Jesus. You’re here in my heart, here in my life, here in every moment of my day -- “always with (me)” (Matthew 28:20). In You, I “live and move and have (my) being” (Acts 17:28). ...
“How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
How long must I bear pain in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all day long?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
Consider and answer me, O Lord my God!
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,
and my enemy will say, ‘I have prevailed’;
my foes will rejoice because I am shaken” (Psalm 13:1-4).
In the aftermath of massacres, in the throes of wars, in the destruction of plagues, in the scarcity of famines, in the instability of financial insecurity, in the confusion of cultural chaos, and in the insanity of the destruction of moral standards, we can begin to ask Why? and Where are You? and How long?
It's ok to ask the questions. It’s ok to express our griefs and sorrows, our frustration and disappointments. You’re big enough to handle our questions. You’re loving enough to allow us to vent out our thoughts and feelings. I’m reminded of those very kinds of expressions from the heart of David:
And at the same time, I’m also reminded of how Your Spirit would lead David to turn his questions of You back to his trust in You, reminding him of Your faithfulness through every tragedy and battle and disappointment of his life, as he continued to express his heart in that same Psalm:
“But I trusted in Your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord
because He has dealt bountifully with me” (Psalm 13:5-6).
He didn’t ignore his pain or deny his questions. But he also didn’t get stuck there. He remembered Your faithfulness in his past and embraced Your Presence in his present. In the midst of all his questions, he chose to “rejoice in Your salvation” and “sing” of Your steadfast love and bountiful mercies.
You shifted his perspective. And in the shifting, You didn’t change the facts of his world at the moment, but You did change the effect of their influence on his soul.
O my soul, with a heart like David, I choose to lift up my heart to the Lord.
O my Lord, just like You did for David, shift my perspective. Remind me of Your faithfulness, refocus me on Your Presence with me right now in the present, and reassure me You’re always with me and leading me into the unfolding fullness of Your steadfast love and bountiful mercies.
And I pray the same for all who need that heart by Your grace, that heart like David, through whatever they’re going through today. It’s ok to ask the questions, as Your Spirit leads us to the One who is the Answer. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
My family, may you be free to ask your questions, to express your thoughts and feelings to the Lord who leads you by His Spirit to the One who is the Answer, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your thoughts and reflections in the Comments Box below..
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community/Toney UMC
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
My wife Nancyare in a new season of our ministry of pouring completely into planting and growing simple house churches in our neighborhoods, and having “boots on the ground” serving in our community.. Please pray over this season in my life and that of my family. 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 with me always. And I seek to begin my week intentionally, deliberately looking to You and listening for Your leading, as I press in to Your Presence in the communion of prayer. ...
It’s in communion with You that my spiritual eyes are opened, that my spiritual heart catches fire with Your Spirit and comes life in Your Word -- just as You showed us on Your encounter with Your disciples on their walk to Emmaus:
“As they came near the village to which they were going, (Jesus) walked ahead as if He were going on. But they urged Him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.’ So He went in to stay with them. When He was at the table with them, He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. They said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while He was talking to us on the road, while He was opening the Scriptures to us?’ That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, ‘The Lord has risen indeed, and He has appeared to Simon!’ Then they told what had happened on the road, and how He had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread. While they were talking about this, Jesus Himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you’” (Luke 24:28-36).
Thank You for the gift of communion with You -- not only here in these moments at the beginning of my mornings, but every moment of every day. You’re with me always (Matthew 28:20). You abide in me and I abide in You (John 15:4). You make Yourself “known to (me) in the breaking of the bread. And You are the Bread -- the Bread of Your Word, the Bread of Your Spirit, the Bread of Your Abiding Presence, “the Bread of Life” as I live my life in communion with You (John 6:35). In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
My, may you live your life in communion with Jesus, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your thoughts and reflections in the Comments Box below..
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community/Toney UMC
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
In July I will step out of pastoring Toney UMC and pour completely into planting and growing simple house churches in our neighborhoods. Please pray over this season in my life and that of my family. 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
TO GIVE , CLICK HERE
Good morning, Lord Jesus. You still say to me and to every one of Your disciples, “Come, follow Me” (Matthew 19:21). Here I am, Lord; ready to come, follow You today. ...
Yesterday evening, two brothers in Christ and I spent a couple hours in a quiet place in the woods behind one of their homes to simply pray and listen. As I have stated, in two weeks I will be stepping out of my position as pastor of Toney UMC and beginning with my wife a renewed season of being on mission in my city to plant and grow disciples and simple churches. One of the brothers there last night is also an ordained Elder in the UMC who is also stepping out of his pastoring position to join in pursuing ministry in his community. The third brother has actively lead in church and addiction ministries and is discerning his renewed calling to be on mission for missions. As from my reflection this past Tuesday, we prayed into pouring into, “It may very well be that you have been given everything in life for such a time as this!” (Esther 4:14 paraphrase)
In my continued reflecting on last night, this morning I hear You saying in my heart:
Draw near to Me, then I can send you out. Spend time with Me, and I will multiply the moments of your day. Let Me fill you up with My Spirit, so I can pour out of you My love. Allow Me to empower you, that My power can flow through you. I am the Author of your faith. I am the Source of your success. I am the Lord of your life because you have believed that I am Lord of all....
In Your Spirit Jesus, this Scripture from Your written Word comes to mind to conform what I believe I’m hearing in my heart as Your spoken word:
“I love those who love Me, and those who seek Me diligently find Me” (Proverbs 8:17).
And these familiar Words are coming to life with a fresh breath of Your Spirit right now:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He removes every branch in Me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit He prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in Me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in Me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from Me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in Me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become My disciples. As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. I have said these things to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:1-11).
Simple Words. But powerful, intimate Words. Welcoming me to come and follow You, to come and spend time with You, so that my life bears fruit and my joy may be complete -- all because of a genuine, authentic, and deeply personal relationship with You.
By the power of Your grace, with this hunger You’ve put in my heart, I’m here to come follow You, to come be with You -- this day and every day, this moment and every moment -- morning by morning and step by step. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
My family, may you drawn deeply into the Presence of God, deeply abiding in Him that your life can bear much fruit and your joy may be complete, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your reflections and prayers with us on this blog in the comment box below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community/Toney UMC
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Give A Gift!
In July I will step out of pastoring Toney UMC and pour completely into planting and growing simple house churches in our neighborhoods. Please pray over this season in my life and that of my family. 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 YouI!
TO GIVE CLICK HERE
Good morning, Lord Jesus. King of kings and Lord of lords, come rule and reign in my heart and every moment of my day. ...
“Your people shall be volunteers in the day of Your power; in the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth” (Psalm 110:3 NKJV).
My family and I returned from our vacation last night. Back to the “Real World.” I awoke this morning, made some coffee, and turned on the news. I watched an update on the war in Ukraine and saw for that over one hundred thousand Ukrainians from around the world have returned to fight for their homeland -- volunteers in the day of battle.
In some ways, the battle for the soul of Ukraine is a prophetic picture of the battle for the soul of the earth. At times the constant shelling of all we hold dear is unbearable: Covid, inflation, gas prices, attacks on our faith, mass shooting of our children…. while the seemingly indiscriminate bombing of the innocent is unthinkable. At times the odds seem overwhelming and victory, or even a return to some form of peace, a return to some type of “normal” seems hopeless.
But Your Word encourages us: “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4 NKJV). And Your Words encourage us: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Lord Jesus, we look to You--for the people of Ukraine and for ourselves as the children of God, called by Your name throughout the earth and chosen to live out our lives and our calling through these times. By the stirring of the Holy Spirit within us, we volunteer freely on the day of battle. And this is the day of battle--the day of battle for our souls and for the soul of the world.
After the witness of the courage of the Ukrainian people, give us Your courage to fight the battles before us--“strong and very courageous” (Joshua 1:7). Put Your weapons in our hands and Your words in our mouths, with Your Spirit stirring in our hearts. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4).
Armed with Your spiritual weapons and clothed in Your spiritual armor, may we run to the battle and volunteer willingly to take our place and make our stand in You, just as Your Word commands:
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:10-18). In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
My family, may you be stirred by the Holy Spirit to run into the battle and volunteer freely to take your stand in Christ, as Christ stand’s in you, to be victorious and more than a conqueror today and throughout these days, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your reflections and prayers with us on this blog in the comment box below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community/Toney UMC
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Give A Gift!
In July I will step out of pastoring Toney UMC and pour completely into planting and growing simple house churches in our neighborhoods. Please pray over this season in my life and that of my family. 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 YouI!
TO GIVE CLICK HERE
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me hear what You're saying, see what You're doing, sense Your Presence and follow Your leading.
"Moses then called Bazalel and Oholiab and every skillful one to whom the Lord had given skill, everyone whose heart was stirred to come to do the work; and they received from Moses all the freewill offerings that the Israelites had brought for doing the work on the sanctuary. They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning, so that all the artisans who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary came, each from the task being performed, and said to Moses, 'The people are bringing much more than enough for doing the work that the Lord has commanded us to do.' " (Exodus 35:2-5).
As I sit and look over the endless ocean and its vastness, it is easy to ask myself, “Why am I here?” What is my purpose in God’s grand plan for this earth? As the passage above reminds me, God, You've given each of us a skill to build up Your people and extend Your kingdom across the earth. With our freewill, we're invited to offer our gifts in service to You with "whatever gift each of (us) has received" (1 Peter 4:10). Together, we are the sanctuary You're building, the place of Your abiding Presence on this earth. And Your kingdom is within us (Luke 17:21).
Jesus, as I and those who read this devotion Your Spirit has given me, as we seek You, show us our gifts and our place of service to You wherever we are. Let Your Spirit stir in our hearts to come do the work of the kingdom of God. Wherever we are, we carry Your kingdom with us, for Your kingdom is within us -- at home, at work, in the market, in the church, down the street and across the oceans. And as we each do our part in this labor of love with the gifts of God, we find we are fulfilled. We find we have "much more than enough for doing the work that he Lord has commanded us to do." And we find Your heart for us is, "Well done" (Luke 19:17).
"Our God will make (us) worthy of His call and will fulfill by His power every good resolve and work of faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in (us), and (we) in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, I pray today you will ask the Holy Spirit to reveal your skills and the gifts of God within you. I pray He will stir in your heart to fully offer yourself and your gifts for the work and glory of the kingdom of God wherever you are. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your reflections and prayers with us on this blog in the comment box below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community/Toney UMC
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Give A Gift!
In July I will step out of pastoring Toney UMC and pour completely into planting and growing simple house churches in our neighborhoods. Please pray over this season in my life and that of my family. 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 YouI!
TO GIVE CLICK HERE
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, filled with Your Holy Spirit -- I seek You and seek Your leading to begin my day in deep communion with You. ...
"For the waves of death encompassed me,
the torrents of perdition assailed me;
the cords of Sheol entangled me,
the snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called upon the Lord;
to my God I called.
From His temple He heard my voice,
and my cry came to His ears"
(2 Samuel 22:5-7).
For the past couple years it seems we've been hearing about all these this world-wide plagues moving in on us in waves. Cover, global shortages, inflation, war in the Ukraine, mass shootings…Sitting her on the beach, It makes me think of a relentless army coming ashore in wave after wave of attack. But then, what You immediately bring up from my spirit and into mind is "wave after wave of glory." The glory of Your manifest Presence -- with us and within us -- that gives us the wisdom and the power to withstand every wave that would come against us.
In humility, we admit we cannot overcome in our own wisdom and power and confess we need Yours. In desperation and distress, we cry out to You, we call upon the Lord. In faith, we believe You hear the voice of our cries, You see the desperation of our needs. And in thanksgiving and praise, even before we see it made manifest with our physical eyes what we're believing with our spiritual eyes, we declare as the voice of the redeemed that "wave after wave of glory" will defeat all enemies and even cover the whole earth. "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!" (Psalm 107:2) For the Promise of Your Word will come to pass: "The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea" (Habakkuk 2:14).
You responded with wisdom and power for David when He cried out to You in his distress, as he faced the waves of destruction. And we thank You now that You are responding with wisdom and power as we cry out to You in our day:
Then the earth reeled and rocked;
the foundations of the heavens trembled
and quaked, because He was angry.
Smoke went up from His nostrils,
and devouring fire from His mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from Him.
He bowed the heavens, and came down;
thick darkness was under His feet.
He rode on a cherub, and flew;
He was seen upon the wings of the wind.
He made darkness around Him a canopy,
thick clouds, a gathering of water.
Out of the brightness before Him
coals of fire flamed forth.
The Lord thundered from heaven;
the Most High uttered His voice.
He sent out arrows, and scattered them
-lightning, and routed them.
Then the channels of the sea were seen,
the foundations of the world were laid bare
at the rebuke of the Lord,
at the blast of the breath of His nostrils.
He reached from on high, He took me,
He drew me out of mighty waters.
He delivered me from my strong enemy,
from those who hated me;
for they were too mighty for me.
They came upon me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my stay.
He brought me out into a broad place;
He delivered me, because He delighted in me"
(2 Samuel 22:8-20).
Deliver us, Lord! Draw us up out of the mighty waters of this strong enemy of destruction, too mighty for humanity to handle in our wisdom and power! Send Your waves of glory, "wave after wave of glory" to fill our heart and fill the earth with a great awareness of Your Presence, with all the wisdom and power we need to overcome. And we thank You now that You will even turn it all around into a world-wide repentance to see a world-wide salvation like the world has never seen! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, may you be filled with God's Holy Spirit, with wave after wave of the glory of His manifest Presence, trusting Him to give the wisdom and power we need in our world to overcome and even see the great salvation of the Lord in our 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
Give A Gift!
In July I will step out of pastoring Toney UMC and pour completely into planting and growing simple house churches in our neighborhoods. Please pray over this season in my life and that of my family. 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 YouI!
TO GIVE CLICK HERE
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lead me in the way of life in You today. ...
As I sit on the shore of the ocean this morning, the vastness of God and His presence everywhere and anywhere on earth comes into my mind. Sitting on the beach, with it’s billions of grains of sand, I am in a way like one of the billions of grains of people on this planet. And even though You have a world view of salvation, “God So loved the World” you also desire a deep personal connection with me.
The truth is: "O Lord, You have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I'm far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place Your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! I can never escape from Your Spirit! I can never get away from Your Presence! If I go up to heaven, You are there; if I god down to the grave, You are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there You hand will guide me, and Your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night -- but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.... And when I wake up, You are still with me!" (Psalm 139:18 NLT)"I bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad and I rejoice. My body rests in safety. For You will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave. You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of Your Presence the pleasures of living with You forever!" (Psalm 16:7-11)
You are "right beside me." ...
What if I were to live my life believing that was true? ...
What if I were to live this day believing that was true? ...
If I truly believed You were right beside me, would I make different choices throughout the moment of my day. Would I be more secure and confident? Would I be more careful and diligent? Would I be more honest and faithful? Would I be afraid in the fear of the Lord or would I be fearless in the certainty of my Savior?
The truth is You are right beside me. Always (Matthew 28:20). You never leave me (Hebrews 13:5). In fact, You are within me by the indwelling of Your very Spirit (Colossians 1:27; 1 Corinthians 3:16). You always know every thought in my mind and every desire in my heart. I couldn't hide from You if I tried. They don't make fig leaves that big anymore!
So no matter how it makes me feel or act, You are "right beside me" regardless. And in the light of that eternal truth, give me grace to live my life each day with a deeper awareness of that truth and Your Presence. It's a good thing. No, it's a great thing. In fact, it's a grace thing that I could never earn and never deserve, but only receive as the great gift of God that it is -- the gift of the ever-abiding Presence of my God who loves me and likes being with me!
Thank You, Lord! Help me learn to appreciate You and Your Presence more. Thank You for being "right beside me" every moment of my life forever. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, I pray you live this day and every day in the growing awareness of the ever-abiding Presence of God who loves you and likes being with 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
Give A Gift!
In July I will step out of pastoring Toney UMC and pour completely into planting and growing simple house churches in our neighborhoods. Please pray over this season in my life and that of my family. 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 YouI!
TO GIVE , CLICK HERE
Good morning Lord Jesus, I seek you Holy Spirit to move in me and guide me thought my day today.
The Spirit applies in us and nurtures the fruits of the Spirit in our lives—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. As you read this list and ask your self “What exactly are the “fruits of the Spirit? You will arrive at the answer: These all make up the character of God. And since the character of the Father is the same as the Son, these “fruits” also make up the character of Jesus Christ. We see these personified in all the narratives of the life of Jesus in the Gospels.
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to imitate Jesus not only in words, and deeds, but more importantly, in character. We could be right and say the right words but if we say them without love and gentleness we are wrong. We could do the right deeds but if we do them without joy and kindness they build up nothing. Stepping up as the spiritual leader of your family without patience, goodness and self-control is destructive.
These gifts of the fruits of the Spirit that the Holy Spirit wants to give us is nothing less than the character of God. Jesus breathes in us and tells us to receive the Holy Spirit so by the Spirit’s indwelling in us, we can be conformed with his actual character and that of God. That is the only way we can possibly live into God’s command to be Holy as I am Holy, by the indwelling of the Spirit in us and the fruits, the actual character of God in the Spirit.
People listen to people of the character of God. People follow people of the character of God. Your character will either open or close doors to sharing the Gospel and/or discipling other people.
My family, read Romans 15:13; Galatians 6:16-25, Matthew 3:8-9; James 5:7-12. I pray you will spend time with the Holy Spirit looking at your character. What “Fruits of the Spirit” are you strong in? What fruits are a challenge to you? Pray over you character. Ask the Holy Spirit to assist you in obtaining the character of God, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Practical application of this message; Are you in an accountability relationship with another person or two? I am absolutely convinced that nothing helps an individual to maintain the character of God more than deep, open, vulnerable, loving, real accountability. It helps prevent someone from being the person in James 1:23-24, who looks in the mirror at home and says, “What a good Christian am I!” then goes out and lives like those of the world. If you are not in deep accountability with one or two people, (not a small group or Bible study. True accountability happens in 2-3 people) then I challenge you to enter into one by the end of this week. Pray for the Holy Spirit to lead you to the one or two persons to invite into accountability with you.
Please share any thoughts, comments, stories you have on the Fruits of the Spirit, Character or accountability with us below.
Much love,
Gary
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Please pray over this season in my life and that of my family. 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
TO GIVE , CLICK HERE
Good morning Lord Jesus, Spirit of the living God come fall afresh on me.
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is present in each of us who through repentance and faith have been saved by Jesus Christ through the merits of his death, resurrection works on the cross. His presences in me is my only source of holiness. His indwelling in me is what allows me to hear from and experience God and Jesus in prayer and the searching of Scriptures. It is his presence in me that assures me of my salvation in In Jesus Christ.
Since I am Arminian in my soteriology (theology of salvation) and do not believe like my reformed brothers in predestination, that some are eternally chosen elect of God and some are eternally chosen as reprobate. And since I do not adhere to a “works” based salvation, where if my good deeds out weigh my sinful deeds I am saved, How could I ever truly be sure that I am in God’s grace? That my assurance was not of pride and arrogance given to me by my flesh, but by the workings of the Spirit inside me? It is through praying and reflecting on it, such assurance I immediately and directly perceive when my spiritual senses are rightly disposed. Then the Spirit of God witnesses to my spirit that I am a child of God. And the testimonies and witnesses that I am a child of God and not a child of the devil I am able to see clearly. As John Wesley put it, “as you distinguish day from night.”
And that just as God did not remain distant from me, a completely heavenly being, but became incarnate so I may better understand and have a closer relationship with Him on earth, also now my assurance that I am pleasing in God’s sight is not something that can be confirmed only in heaven and realized on the last day when I discover if I was one of the elect or the reprobate, or if I completed enough good deeds to offset my sinful deeds. But my assurance I am saved is something that can be confirmed in me by the spirit of God in me and realized all the days of my life in this world, including today. For which I say, “Praise God!”
It is a holy presence in me that is more than a feeling. It is constant in me, at times even more so in the valleys of my life as in the mountain tops. And the Holy Spirit is constantly calling me into a deeper state of holiness, as he reveals to me areas in my life where I have not let his indwelling in me to enter into, whether knowingly or unknowingly. Through prayer and in the Spirit, I seek each day to be more Holy, more like Christ, a process we Wesleyans call Sanctification. Day by day we hope to become more sanctified, more set apart in Holiness for God, with the goal of complete sanctification. For me not to believe this is possible in my life today, and only after I am dead as some believe, would elevate sin above the merits of Christ on the Cross.
My family, Read Rom 8:1-17, 15:13; 1 Cor. 3:16-17, 1 Cor. 6:9-11; 2 Cor. 3:17-18; Eph. 3:14-21; 1 John 4:13-15. Spend time then in prayer and ask God’s Spirit to witness to your Spirit. Pray for the Holy Spirit to fall afresh in you, in Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my freinds!
Please post any comments, questions or reflections you may have below.
Holy Spirit Come!
Gary
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community/Toney UMC
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
In July I will step out of pastoring Toney UMC and pour completely into planting and growing simple house churches in our neighborhoods. Please pray over this season in my life and that of my family. 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
TO GIVE , CLICK HERE
Click on the link below and take 3 minutes to let the words of this song pour over and into you.
Good morning Jesus. I simply hank you this morning that you love me.
Power, confidence, helper, strength:
John Wesley, the founder of Methodists states as he looked into the future of the growing denomination, “I am not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever cease to exist either in Europe or America. But I am afraid lest they should only exist as a dead sect, having the form of religion without the power. And this undoubtedly will be the case unless they hold fast both the doctrine, spirit, and discipline with which they first set out.”
This passage is one that haunts me, and is why we are spending the 24 days leading up to Pentecost pressing into the Holy Spirit. Wesley’s quote applies not just to Methodism, but to all denominations, non-denominations, and The Church as a whole in the world.. It should challenge all who call themselves Christians if they have the zeal to “spread Scriptural holiness” that the early Methodists had, and the first church found in the Book Acts of the Apostles. I can’t read this quote without asking myself the obvious question: Is the Church in America a dead sect, does it have the form or religion without the power? Or have we held fast to the doctrine, spirit, and discipline with which we first set out?
If I were to stand up in a church and ask, “How many people believe Jesus can raise dead?” Many, hopefully all hands would raise up. If I asked again, “How many people believe Jesus is today raising the dead?” How many hands would raise? Believing that The Holy Spirit can raise the dead is different from believing that the Holy Spirit is raising the dead. The first belief contains past nostalgia and reminiscence, the second belief contains power for today.
In talking to and my experience with many churches and Christens there is a real lack of expectancy and power in their faith. A lack of expectancy that the power of God is going to do very much at all. Do you really think your prayers for somebody has the power to see the sick healed? Or the whole time you are praying for their healing you are thinking in your head they better go see a doctor. Now this is opening up a can of worms I know. It is really not an either/ or. But do we really believe we will see the power of God at work? Do we really believe we will see the kingdom come in the world around us? When was the last time if ever you have laid hands on a person who is sick and anointed them with oil in prayer? Do you expect the most deprived neighborhoods in Madison or Huntsville or your neighborhoods to come to Christ, become free of their addictions, have their lives be filled with love and turned around? If so when was the last time you prayer walked a neighborhood praying over that community? Do you when you walk out your door in the morning really expect for God to do amazing things so that by the end of the day or the end of the week you will have amazing stories to tell about the power of God and what he is doing? Because He Is! And you have been invited to be part of it!! I believe we are not seeing miracles, signs and wonders today because those in the church are not actively in faith seeking the performance of them.“ Jesus told You, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;” (Matt 7:7). Are you seeking miracles in peoples lives? You have the indwelling of the power of the Holy Spirit to complete them. What is ministry except a day by day, moment by moment invitation to step into something that God wants to do in somebody’s life and have the privilege of seeing it happen. Do we embrace the power of God enough and expect it in our own lives enough to be able expect it anywhere else?
My family, I pray today you Read Acts1:4-8, 4::29-33, Rom. 8:26-27; Eph. 3:14-21. Then reflect on the power, confidence, and strength of your faith and ministry through the Holy Spirit, in Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends.
Please post a comment below. I do not want this to be a "dead sect" 24 days. I want this to be full of testimonies and relevant prayers. So post as a comment below any prayers requests for power in your life or ministry so we can pray the power of the Holy Spirit over it. Share an example to encourage us of how you have seen the power of God recently in you ministry.
Much love,
Gary
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community/ Toney UMC
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
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