Month: April 2018

Effective Prayer

by Laurin, posted in Devotion

This Thursday, May 3rd, is the National Day of Prayer, a day when Christians from all over our vast nation gather in churches, small groups, schools, homes, or go out on their own to pray specifically for the United States of America. This year’s theme is “Unity,” and the foundational scripture is Ephesians 4:3, “Making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (You can learn more about this event at their website.)

While the National Day of Prayer is special to many, every Sunday at Colona Community Church is a special day of prayer for us. We set aside time in every normal Sunday service for “Praise and Prayer Time.” It is during these moments each week that members of the congregation can share their joys and burdens with each other, so that we can rejoice alongside and pray for one another. It is a privilege that our small congregation cherishes.

Prayer is so important to and such a blessing for those who believe. Taking our requests to God is a privilege for believers that Christ paid for with His death on the cross. It was then that the veil separating the Church from the Holy of Holies was torn, granting us direct access to the throne of God. Now we can take our hearts right to God, and He will hear our requests.

Does that mean that God will give you that new sports car you’ve always wanted or the big house on the shore of a beautiful lake that you dream of? No. Sorry to say, but that’s not what God means when He says, “I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours” (Mark 11:24, NLT).

Note that John 15:7 says it even more succinctly: “But if you remain in Me and My words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!” (NLT). There’s the key: remaining (or the old KJV word abiding) in Christ, planting His words in your heart, growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. As Rick Renner wrote: “Jesus knew that if His words take up permanent residency in your heart and mind, you will never ask for something that is out of line with His will for your life. His Word will so transform your mind that your prayers will always be in accordance with what He has already said.”

So as we work out our salvation (Philippians 2:13-14), as we draw nearer to God (James 4:8), as we abide in Him (John 15:7), our prayers become more effective, because we are praying His will (Matthew 6:10), we are seeking Him first (Luke 12:31).

If we want America to be “great again,” if we desire for our nation to turn back to God, it must begin with each individual believer feeding on the Word, filling our hearts and minds with its Truth, abiding in Him, so that our prayers may become even more powerful and effective, and we can spread our joy and peace and hope and love to all those around us.

I do hope that you will join me and countless others this Thursday as we pray for the U.S.A. and all who live, work, and play here. May God bless America again!

And if you have a burden that you’d like the fellowship of Colona Community Church to be praying for, please click on our “Prayer Requests” page and send us a message. We will be honored to take it to the throne for you and come alongside you in your time of need. God bless you today and always!

Comfort in the Chaos

by Laurin, posted in Devotion

I’m going to confess something: I’m a bit of a worrier. I worry about my parents getting older and needing more specialized care, about my brother traveling for his photography business, about the lack of moisture and the consequent fire danger, about answering the phone because my introvert nature makes it a scary proposition, about all sorts of things! And absolutely none of them are actually within my control.

Last fall my mom had complications with a back operation that put her at serious risk and in the hospital and a physical rehab unit for nearly two months. I found myself spending way more time worrying and crying than I did reading the Word and praying. Driving to the hospital one day, I remember God pressing on me that if I have enough time to worry about the situation, then I also have enough time to pray about it. If I can devote time to being concerned, I can devote time to reading His Word.

The Bible never says that we should worry more or stress out or try to do everything on our own. It actually says the exact opposite: Philippians 4:6 tells us not to be anxious about anything, but to pray and give thanks about everything. Worrying will not change anything, but trusting in God can change everything!

And Jesus Himself told us not to worry. His words remind us that since we see God cares for even the birds and the grass, we should know that He will take care of us. And after all, worrying will not add a single hour to your life or make anything better in the long run (Matthew 6:25-34). These reminders, among so many others in the Word, are the only thing that can keep me from spending too much time worrying.

When we worry, it is an attempt to take control over situations that can never be in our control. We turn from faith in God to fear of the unknown. We worship the problem instead of the Problem-Solver.

But every time we pick up the Word or turn to the Lord in prayer, He takes our burdens upon Himself. His words can give us peace in the midst of the chaos, comfort in our trials. What a tremendous blessing He gives us, when we turn to Him!

 

God-Shaped Hole

by Laurin, posted in Devotion

I see it every day, this need for more: more money, more popularity, more beauty, more love, more things. Our world is desperate for more. We grasp for the next best thing, only to find that there is another next best thing waiting for us. Always wanting, never satisfied seems to be the theme of today’s society.

Yet, the “things” will never be able to truly satisfy us, because there will forever be newer, better, more on the horizon. As John Piper said, “Every person or thing we trust will eventually fail us, except Jesus. Only He can bear the full weight of our hope.” The only One who can truly satisfy is the One who created you and me.

We all have a God-shaped hole inside, and no amount of stuff can ever fill it up. Only God can. It is a void in each of us that only He can fill. He alone can “satisfy [you] more than the richest feast” (Psalm 63:5 NLT). Only the One True God can “satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing” by simply opening His hand (Psalm 145:16 NLT). Jesus said that He came into this world, not to steal, kill, and destroy like the thief, but “to give a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10 NLT).

If you find yourself constantly searching for something to fill you up, there is only One that will last more than a brief moment, only One that can truly satisfy: Jesus. “For He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things” (Psalm 107:9 ESV).

Does your God-shaped hole need to be filled? Have you been searching for something to quench your thirst, to ease your hunger, to bring you lasting joy, to satisfy you? Don’t look to the world with its fleeting pleasures. Look to the Lord, who can satisfy your longing soul and fill your heart with joy eternal!

Tetelestai

by Laurin, posted in Devotion

If you read the Bible accounts of Jesus’ crucifixion, you might note that He spoke seven times while He hung on the cross. He asked the Father to forgive those who persecuted and crucified Him (Luke 23:34), reminding us that we must forgive those who hurt us. He told the repentant thief that he would join Jesus in Paradise (Luke 23:42-43), reminding us that heaven is real and it is never too late to turn our hearts to Jesus. He asked His disciple, John, to take care of His mother (John 19:26-27), reminding us to think of others first, no matter what we’re going through. He cried out in anguish to God (Mark 15:34), reminding us that we need to pour out our own hearts to God to find our strength in Him. He noted that He was thirsty (John 19:28), reminding us that those who thirst for Living Water will always be refreshed. He called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46), reminding us that we need to place our lives in God’s hands at all times and in all circumstances.

But is was His words just before He committed His spirit to God that have been swirling tetelestaiin my mind for the past few weeks: “It is finished!” (John 19:30). The Greek word tetelestai is here translated to “it is finished,” but it also means “Paid in Full.” In Jesus’ time, this word was often written on the bottom of ledgers  when the debtor had finished repayment.

What a dramatic description of Christ’s work on the cross! He went through all the agony and pain and selflessness and separation from God, so that we wouldn’t have to. He willingly gave His life so that our unpayable debt of sin could be finished, paid in full! God sent His One and Only Son to give His life as a payment for our sin — a free gift of grace! As one of my all-time favorite songs says, “In this world where something’s worth is based on what someone would pay, it’s nice to know I’m worth one Jesus to You” (“Tetelestai” by everybodyduck). And it is so nice to know that you and I are loved more than we will ever know by Someone who died to know us (Romans 5:8).

But do you know what is even better? As Louie Giglio put it, “Jesus’ last word is our first. It is finished. When He died, our life began.” He died and that wasn’t the end of the story! He is risen! And when we choose to turn from our sin and follow Him, we are raised to new life with Him and promised eternal life by His side.

Today we celebrate the reason for our faith (1 Corinthians 15:14-19): the finished work of the cross and the resurrection of our living Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. What a glorious day! I pray you have a blessed Easter, rejoicing in the One who died and rose again for you.

 

And just because I think the words are beautiful, here are the lyrics to the second verse, the chorus, and the final refrain of “Tetelestai” by everybodyduck:

I can’t quite understand how one like You could love me

Covered with sin, I know I’m not a pretty sight

Yet I can’t count the times You’ve wrapped Your arms around me

Despite the blackness of my heart You held me tight

You knew alone that I could never buy my freedom

The price for all my sin was more than I could bear

You sent Your Only Son as payment for my burden

A perfect sacrifice for all mankind to share

And when there’s no love

I have You, Lord

Before the earth was formed

Your plan for me You knew

And in this day when something’s worth is based on what someone would pay

It’s nice to know I’m worth one Jesus to You.

It’s nice to know I’m worth one Jesus to You.

So when I feel this life of mine has no real value

And there’s no one who’d care if I should live or die

I remember just how much You gave to have me

You paid so much for something no one else would buy