Grace 809

Elijah wasn’t equipped with unique-to-him abilities. He wasn’t embedded with superpowers. James says, “Elijah was a human being just like us. He prayed that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years!” (James 5:17 NCV). Elijah became Elijah by praying that way.

Let a man spend a night fasting and praying at the bedside of his sick child, and that father will not be the same man. Let a young mother pour out her complaint to God over the death of her young child, and that young mother will be forever changed.  Let a church challenge God to purge sin and send revival, and there is no way that church will be the same.

Prayer changes the heart of the one who prays. And prayer touches the heart of the One who hears it.

Read more Unbreakable Courage

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

Transcript

Today is Psalms Wednesday. We’ll read chapters 128-130. I do have an on this date in church history for you. I’m calling today’s episode “It’s More Than Happy.”  

Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways!

Psalm 128:1 ESV

I don’t think we’ve ever really talked much about what it is to be blessed. “Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways!” What does that actually mean? I mean, that’s a pretty inclusive statement, right? “Blessed is everyone…” 

You’ve probably heard that “blessed” means “happy.” But just in my own experience, I can tell you that I have not been, nor am I always now “happy.” The human experience is never one of continual happiness. Is it? All of us have times of trial, tragedy and heartbreak. Whether or not we fear the Lord and walk in His ways. Look at Job! He feared the Lord and walked in His ways. I can’t think of any point in the first 41 chapters out of 42 that we can say, “Yes, Job should be happy now.”

So to be blessed must mean more than “happy.” But wait. Maybe we need to look at the definition of “happy.” 

* The Cambridge Dictionary: feeling, showing, or causing pleasure or satisfaction:

* Merriam-Webster: favored by luck or fortune; enjoying or characterized by well-being and contentment; GLAD, PLEASED

* Dictionary.com: delighted, pleased, or glad, as over a particular thing; to feel joy; be glad; rejoice.

So to be happy is more than just a light, giddy, feeling that comes as a result of some sort of event. A recent event in my life that made me happy was the birth of my latest grandchild. When Penny was born, I was happy that she and her mom was healthy and doing well. It makes me happy when a ls fam member sends an email or comments on the show notes page. 

But life is not just about those moments, is it? We all have times of loss, illness, disappointments. And in those times, happiness flees. 

But this verse says, “Blessed IS…” 

IS conveys the meaning of a *constancy*. An enduring state. When God appeared to Moses in the burning bush, Moses said to God, ““Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”, God said, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you’” AM is a form of the word IS. In a very simplified way, God was s

Tim Goeglein inspires parents to help their children gain appreciation for the history and civics in this great country that have made us the envy of the world.
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When the son of his friend died, “Elijah stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him’” (1 Kings 17:21 NKJV). Elijah had no precedent upon which to base this prayer. Up to this point in Scripture, no person had been brought back to life. He did this because he believed in a living God.

There are occasions in which we rest in prayer. There are other occasions in which we wrestle in prayer. Elijah wrestled. Elijah did first what mattered most: he prayed…passionately, dramatically, thunderously. Let’s do likewise. Let’s heed the command of Scripture: “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God…” (Hebrews 4:16 NLT).

Read more Unbreakable Courage

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

Transcript

Today is History Tuesday and we’ll red 2 Chronicles 33-36, which will complete the book. I’m calling today’s episode “The Forgiven King.”

Manasseh was a very evil king who ruled for fifty-five years. This tells us that just because something lasts a long time does not mean that God’s blessing is on it. 

The chapter very clearly outlines the sins of Manasseh, and the judgement that he and the nation suffered because of their sins. 

I want to focus for a brief moment on what happened as a result of God’s judgement. 

First, notice that God gave a warning to Manasseh that if he did not repent and correct his evil doings, there would be a steep price to pay. God did not have to warn him. He had already said many times throughout the history of the nation what blessings there would be if they followed God’s statutes and commandments, and what curses would be theirs if they did not. But in God’s mercy, He gave Manasseh one last chance. Of course true to his character, and the character of the people, God was ignored.

So God allowed the king of Assyria to defeat them, and Manasseh was taken into captivity, where he suffered greatly.

Now here is the interesting part. Manasseh finally repented. And he did so wholeheartedly. God knows the hearts of men, and God saw that Manasseh was truly sincere in his repentance. 

So what did God do? He brought Manasseh back into Jerusalem, and He restored him. And Manasseh set about making things right by rebuilding that which needed rebuilding, and tearing down that which needed to be torn down.

Beloved, this is a marvelous account of God’s mercy, and how the forgiven one should act upon receiving God’s mercy. When God forgives, He forgives. But that doesn’t mean that the forgiven should not do all he or she can to make restitution. It isn’t required, it isn’t a condition of forgiveness, but making restitution is an evidence of a changed heart. 

We should not take God’s mercy for granted. Too often, God brings us to the realization that we have done wrong; sometimes by suffering His judgement, sometimes by being caught or some other way. And in our realization, we ask for God’s forgiveness, which we should do. It is good to seek His forgiveness when we fail Him. But then our life does not show any change. If we have wronged someone, we don’t make amends. 

Beloved, we should not cheapen God’s grace by making light of it. Grace comes to us at a very high price. Jesus shed His blood for it. It is not an inconsequential thing. We

Every human is wired for emotional connection. And our earliest relationships with our parents, siblings, and others around us teach us when it’s safe to rely on someone to meet our needs. Pastor Kevin Thompson helps you understand how your formative years impact the way you connect with others, especially your spouse. With a better grasp on the attachment styles, you’ll learn how you can nurture a more secure connection with your spouse.
Receive a copy of the "Love Styles" bundle and an audio download of "Transform Your Marriage by Understanding Your Love Style" for your donation of any amount! Plus, receive member-exclusive benefits when you make a recurring gift today. Your monthly support helps families thrive.
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Pastor Kevin Thompson shares how you can meet your spouse’s attachment need.
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“Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse and finally stopped breathing…Elijah lay on top of the boy three times. He prayed to the Lord, ‘Lord my God, let this boy live again!'” (1 Kings 17:17, 21). The Lord answered Elijah’s prayer, the boy began breathing again, and was alive.

What if Elijah holding the dead boy is a picture of you and me in the midst of a sick society? Did you know that nine out of ten young people in Great Britain believe that life has no meaning? What happens when ninety percent of a generation find no reason to live? Anxiety, anger, depression, despair, suicide. We, like Elijah, have been handed a corpse. Elijah shows us what to do. Prayer was his strategy for the tragedy.

Read more Unbreakable Courage

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

Transcript

Today is Monday so we’ll read from the Law. Deuteronomy 10-12  I have a special, by request On This Date In Church History for you, and an audio comment from a friend, in response to a prayer request. I’m calling today’s episode “What’s It Take?”  

12“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?

Deuteronomy 10:12-13 ESV

These are the actions that God requires of His people.

1. To fear the Lord your God

2. To walk in all His ways

3. To love Him

4. To serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul

5. To keep the commandments and statues of the Lord

BONUS: These are all given FOR OUR GOOD.

This is not the kind of fear that makes us tremble with fright. This is an awe inspired respect that causes us to want to please Him. As He invites us into His presence, we are aware of His infinite power, holiness and righteousness. But the fact remains that He has, indeed, invited us. So we realize that He wants us to be with Him. And then we realize the price He paid so that we could be in His presence…Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, died for our sins and was resurrected, defeating death. And the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, came to live inside of us when we accepted Jesus, an unimaginable privilege. All of this helps us to realize how very much God loves us. 1 John 4:18 tells us that “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.” We need not fear God if we have placed our faith in Jesus, not the type of fear that means “afraid”.

In His Word, God has given instructions for how we should live. He expects and requires us to follow these instructions. Much of the time, our inclination is to follow our own desires, which are diametrically opposed to God’s ways. In spite of our desires, He requires that we choose His way. If we insist on walking in our own ways, how can we say that we are His? When I married the Lovely Lady LeeAnn, I made a vow to be faithful to her, and walk in the