The Scrutiny of the Holy Spirit

““Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’” – Matthew 7:21-23 (NLT)

As followers of Christ, we’re not only called to profess our faith and humbly serve others in love, but also to place our every thought, word and deed under the scrutiny of the Holy Spirit that we may ensure that God’s will is indeed being served.

Let The One Who Has Never Sinned…

“As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.

“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.

When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

“No, Lord,” she said.

And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”” – John 8:3-11 (NLT)

We all sin.  We all fall short.  And yet, how many times each day do we find ourselves judging and condemning others for what we perceive as their failings, while we gloss over or justify our own misdeeds… In this powerful example from John, Jesus addresses this hypocrisy head on by reminding us to recognize our own sinful natures before decrying the deeds of others, and that the exercising of compassion and mercy is often the most direct way for our hearts to be transformed.

I Never Leave Your Hands

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”” – John 13:34-35 (NLT)

When we place our pain, our struggles and our joys in the loving hands of Jesus, our hearts can truly find the peace He desires for us…

“When my world is shaking, Heaven stands…
When my heart is breaking, I never leave Your hands.”

~Phather Phil

Your Promise, and My Prayer

““No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

“And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” – Matthew 6:24-33 (NLT)

Heavenly Father,

I come to you this morning both to give thanks, and to pray for Your continued guidance as I begin the week ahead;

You know my needs Lord, as You know each hair on my head and every yearning in my heart.  Help me Father; aid me in seeing through the veil of my own perception of need, that I may clearly discern Your direction and desire for my life, and embolden my heart to embrace those opportunities that lie along that path You’ve laid.

As I endeavor to clear my thoughts today Lord; casting aside the “noise” around me to better gain Your presence, I pray You find me receptive; willing and driven to bring Your voice into sharp focus with everything I say and do, and allowing the deceptions of this world to fade into the background.

And as You guide my steps Lord, please help me share that joy with others; shining Your light from within that they may know the peace You bring, even when the world appears to be crashing all around us.

For it’s in Your name I pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

I Choose Contentment

This morning I wanted to share the great devotional message I read in the Joyce Meyer reading plan I’m following on YouVersion…

“Living with Contentment and Satisfaction

The Bible says that godliness accompanied with contentment is great and abundant gain. What I take from that is, a godly person who is content is in the very best place he can possibly be.

Joy doesn’t come from having your circumstances in order and under control; it comes from what’s in your heart. For example, the world is full of people who have what they think they want, and they’re still not happy. In fact, some of the most unhappy people in the world are people who seem to “have it all.”

Contentment is not about fame or being well-known, how much money you have, your position at work or your social circle. It’s not found in your level of education or what side of the tracks you were born on. Contentment is a heart attitude.

There’s nobody happier than a truly thankful person, a truly content person. The word content means ‘being satisfied to the point where nothing disturbs you no matter what’s going on, but not satisfied to the point that you never want any change.’

We all want to see things get better. But where you are right this minute doesn’t have to disturb you. You can choose to believe that God is working and things are changing, and you will see the result of it in due time.

Life is all about the choices we make, so choose contentment and satisfaction every single day of your life. You won’t go wrong when you do.

Prayer Starter: God, I want to be content and satisfied with where I am, right here, right now. Give me the strength to choose to be content every single day.”

I choose to believe God has all my situations well in hand, and that He’ll lead me where He wants me to go… I choose contentment through Him.

I’m Bigger…

Dear Lord; Happy Monday Father!

Well Father, I once again find myself gazing over the precipice of another work-week.

I really do enjoy my job Lord and I truly am grateful for having the opportunity to practice in a profession that brings me such satisfaction.  However, more than once over the last few weeks I’ve allowed daily stresses and anxieties to creep into my heart and wrap me in their embrace of fear.  They lie in the silence Father, longing for those moments where my thoughts stray from Your presence, and then attack without warning in a surgical attempt to shield me from Your aid.  Such was one of those instances today Lord, where worldly angst gripped my heart and laid its poisoned restraint upon my chest…

“I’m bigger than your fears, Phil…” You whispered.

And there it stopped Father.  In the light of that simple Truth the incursion was thwarted and those denizens of lies slithered back to the shadows from whence they came.

“The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” – Exodus 14:14 (NLT)

Thank You Father, for the powerful reminder today that You’re still in the business of killing giants and shutting the mouths of lions to protect Your beloved children; that as members of Your Heavenly Family, we enjoy the peace and protection inherent in Your love.

For it’s in Your Holy name I pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil