The MPC Podcast

 “I was born with nothing, and I will die with nothing. The Lord gave, and now he has taken away. May his name be praised.”                                                                         Job 1:21

When you hit a setback it’s okay to tell God you’re mad, sad, or depressed. It’s okay to express all your feelings to God, but don’t get bitter. Bitterness is saying you don’t trust God when trouble comes. It’s like a poison that will tear your life apart if you let it. Job experienced all types of problems. He lost his family, his fortune and his health. But instead of becoming bitter, he focused on God’s goodness. Job knew that God was still in control even though everything seemed to be falling apart. When setbacks come, and they certainly will, you must focus on the fact that God has the big picture in mind. Many things will change in your life. A perfect life is not promised to anyone. 

No matter what setbacks you face, remember that God will never stop loving you. He has a plan for you that is good, and He cares about all of your life. When everything falls apart, don’t get bitter, find reasons to praise God. It’s not easy, but He is worthy.

Let us pray:

Dear Father,

Your holy word tells me to pray without ceasing. In all things large and small, at all times, happy or sad let me seek your wisdom and your strength in prayer. In Jesus’s name, Amen.

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“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God                   Psalm 42:5; Psalm 43:5

Let’s face it, this earthly world is not a very pleasant place these days. There are wars and rumors of wars, pandemics, epidemics, death, sickness, injustice, hunger…a myriad of seemingly insurmountable issues. However, we as believers must not be concerned nor become overwhelmed by all the minutia associated with this earthly life. We should place our hope in our Creator who is faithful, holy and righteous and can do anything but fail. There is no reason for us to be downcast and/or disturbed. When we trust in our Father who is sovereign over all things in heaven and on earth, there is nothing to fear. Our hope in Him and the heavenly life that is promised is reason to give Him praise. Therefore, when we become down and distressed, let’s remember His awesome power and faithfulness that never fails. Let’s praise him at all times. Hallelujah…

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, as we struggle to traverse the difficulties and burdens of this earthly life and become distressed and afraid, remind us that our hope is in You. Sometimes we forget that you are ever-present with us at all times. May your loving kindness and compassion that are new every morning remind us to give you ceaseless thanks and praise. When we praise you, Father, our strength is renewed, we are reminded of what you have already done and encouraged to pray and not worry. To Your Glory, in Jesus’ Name, Amen

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Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will. ~  Roman 12: 2 NIV

Do you feel that it’s too great of a sacrifice to yield all to Christ? Ask yourself what has Christ given for me?  The Son of God gave all, His life for our redemption.  He desires to bring us through his grace and invites us to give ourselves to him that He may work His will in us. Every moment of our lives we have been blessed to partake of Jesus’s sacrifice.  In giving ourselves to God, we must break free from all that separate and hinder us from serving him. In everything you do, acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.

Let us pray:

Lord, you are the chain breaker. Break whatever is hindering us from you lord and draw us into a closer walk with so that that we may dwell in your presence like never before. This we pray in Jesus’s name, Amen.

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Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight. “O Lord my rock and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14 ESV

Life’s opportunities and creativity increase or decrease based on your ability to harness your imagination. Imagination is the natural product of meditation. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination is endless. Think of imagination as a door that opens to a world of possibilities. Intentions and actions are the keys that unlock that door. With imagination there are possibilities, but commitment brings success.

Let us pray:

Holy Father let the Holy Spirit inspire my imagination day by day. Let me have prophetic dreams and visions that are pleasing in your sight. I know that with you nothing is impossible. In Jesus’ name, Amen

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I asked the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” He answered, “Do you not know what these are?” “No, my Lord,” I replied. So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty. “What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’”                         Zechariah 4:4-7 (NIV)

We all face obstacles that can cause us to shrink back, rather than push forward. We each have mountains that we have to climb. They can be overwhelming and daunting. These mountains can be of sickness, depression, financial woes, grief, and personal relationships. But the Lord promised us not only will he help us climb these mountains but overcome them as well, and in the midst of our pain, we can have confidence in knowing that the battle is already won.

An important part of facing our mountains is using our faith to speak to our mountains. Because if you don't have enough faith to move your mouth and speak God's Word, you won't have enough faith to move your mountain. The word tells us, "Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ" (Romans 10:17 NIV). Something amazing begins to take place when you speak God's word over any situation in your life. You become focused and renewed in the Spirit. God has given us the power and authority over our lives, so we can't live our lives thinking we will be defeated. This power and authority give us the right to command our mountains to move with our faith.

Remember you need strength to climb this mountain, but it's not physical or mental strength, it is the strength God gives to us. It's not by might or power, but by the Spirit of the only wise God.

I encourage you to speak to your mountains. Climb them in faith knowing that the Lord takes every step with you and will see you through to the other side of that mountain. When you do that your mountain then becomes a place of learning, renewed prayer, strength, and healing. 

Lord, today I will let go of any fear, guilt, pain, and challenges in my life and place them in Your hands. Allow my faith to grow stronger in Your teachings and Your Word so that You can reveal Your Spirit to me. Let this be a season that makes my faith in You stronger. Lord, help me to declare that my mountains will be moved in the mighty name of Jesus. I place my trust fully in You knowing that all things are possible through You. In Jesus' name, I pray Amen. 

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16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 

     Galatians 5:16-24

This passage reminds us that there is a constant battle going on inside of us. We have a part of us that wants to be led by the Holy Spirit and serve God. Then, we have our flesh or our physical body that’s in the world and vulnerable to temptation. Praying and fasting can help us resist the desires of the flesh. Through prayer, we can share our struggles and weaknesses with God and ask for His help. Fasting pushes us to set aside our own desires and submit to God. Lent is a great opportunity for us to focus on feeding the desires of the Spirit, instead of the desires of the flesh. 

Lord, forgive us for when we put our own desires ahead of your calling for our lives. Give us the strength to turn away from temptation and submit to your will. Show us how to be led by the Holy Spirit in every area of our lives. We ask for all of these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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But God demonstrates His own love towards us, In that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.   ~ Romans 5:8 NKJV

We are imperfect people loved by a perfect God. Yes, we are sinners saved by grace. Sometimes we forget that we are imperfect, that our accomplishments are not of our own merit.  We sometimes forget that we have a Savior and his name is JESUS.  That God so loved the world that he sacrificed His only son Jesus to save the whole of humanity.  So, the next time you think you are greater than or judgmental of others, or have an unforgiving heart, remember that God loves us despite our imperfections. God’s love is greater, forgiving, unmatched, gracious, eternal, unconditional, unchanging, never failing, and complete. That’s the awe of God’s love.

Challenge: I challenge each of us during this Lenten season to spread the love of God.

L - Listen

O - Obey

V - Value

E - Embrace

Let us pray:

Thank you, Father God, for your awesome love that’s better than life.  Help us to embrace that love You’ve extended to each of us and show that love to all we encounter. In Jesus’s name, Amen. 

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The LORD detests lying lips, but He delights in those who tell the truth.

Proverbs 12:22, NLT

What is truth? You would think that with easy access to information and expert opinions, we would know the truth, but the opposite is true. We have trouble recognizing real news from fake news and the reality is we’re living in an age when a lot of people believe that truth doesn't matter. They believe there is no such thing as objective truth; you can have your truth, and I can have mine.

But God surely cares about truth and commands us to tell the truth. In the Ten Commandments, we are told not to bear false witness against our neighbor (Exodus 20:16) and that we should not lie to one another (Leviticus 19:11). Jesus embodies the truth; He is the truth. To believe in Christ is to be firmly fixed on knowing the truth, sticking with it, living it out, and teaching it. The truth always matters to God, and it ought to matter to us.

Jesus came to us full of grace and truth (John 1:14). He described himself by saying, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). And Paul wrote to the Ephesians that the message of truth is the gospel of our salvation (Ephesians 1:13). If we know His foundational truth, the Word, and trust Him, we’ll grow in separating the truth from the lies around us. And as Scripture fills our mind, our ‘monitoring system’ is sharpened. Then our thoughts and actions are filtered through the grid of God’s standard for right and wrong. The truth is that the truth always matters!

Father, we want to delight you by being truth-tellers.  We know that it’s only with the power of the Holy Spirit that we can speak the truth and live consistently by it in all areas of our lives. On this Lenten journey help us to abide in You, recognize Your leading, discern Your voice and understand Your direction. Our desire is to be led by Your Spirit of Truth. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen

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“An expert in the Law of Moses stood up and asked Jesus a question to see what He would say. ‘Teacher’, he asked, ‘what must I do to have eternal life?’” Jesus answered, ‘What is written in the Scriptures? How do you understand them?’ The man replied, ‘The Scriptures say, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind. They also say, ‘Love your neighbors as much as you love yourself.’ Jesus said, ‘You have given the right answer. If you do this, you will have eternal life.’ But the man wanted to show that he knew what he was talking about. So, he asked Jesus, ‘Who are my neighbors?’”                                                        Luke 10:25-29 CEV

He probably was testing Jesus, doubting Jesus knew what He was talking about because Jesus was from that unremarkable and insignificant town of Nazareth. The people of Nazareth, in fact all Galileans, had a low reputation among the elite, the educated, the higher class. Even Nathanael asked Philip: “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” That was until he met the man named Jesus. Wanting to challenge Jesus because he wanted to be justified in his own beliefs, the law expert asked who is one’s neighbors, believing as some did that only righteous people were one’s neighbors not sinners or Samaritans, or non-Jews. Because if one is a sinner, then the person can’t be a “neighbor” of a righteous person. But Jesus obliterates his small-minded, prejudicial, and hateful view of who is righteous or who is a neighbor. 

Who is our neighbor? To whom do we give our time and talent, our resources, our love, and compassion? We are to go beyond the walls of our church and seek those who need our help without expecting anything in return. We are to look beyond the familiar and comfortable and stretch ourselves to embrace those who are unapproachable, to love the unlovely, to welcome the reprobate, the unlikeable; we are to serve the unappreciative, the hateful, the ones who throw our kindness back in our faces. Those are our neighbors, too.

In 1 Peter 4: 10 Peter speaks of the manifold grace of God that He has bestowed on all of us. And we are to do the same. Just a little grace goes a long way in establishing the kingdom of God. Each of us has grace to give to those we know and to those who are “strangers.”

God tells us His grace is enough for us because His power is made perfect in our weakness. If God gives us grace, as His body, we are privileged and obligated to extend grace to each other and to others outside our intimate circles. 

I just need a little grace, as I offer you grace.

Lord, we dedicate this day and our lives to You, to Your service. All that we have is from You; all that we give and receive is by Your bounty and Your grace. We thank You for loving us and giving us of Your Holy Spirit so that we may graciously carry out the mandate Jesus left us to do Your work while it is still day. Amen.

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“Because he loved me says the Lord, I will rescue him, I will protect him for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me and I will answer him, I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him, with long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Psalm 91:14-16

Many years ago, I had a longing to move from my current home.  It was a constant tugging on my heart because I sustained an injury at work; I couldn’t work anymore. Therefore, I wasn’t in a position to insist upon this move with my husband. Nonetheless, this constant nagging was like a persistent itch that wouldn’t cease or go away. 

One day when I was reading my Bible, I came upon Psalm 91.  I read it in its entirety, but verses 14, 15 and 16 really spoke to my heart. In reading these verses, I immediately recognized that God was directly speaking to my heart. He was assuring me in my heart that I was at the right place and at the right location to receive His blessings.  Over the years I have seen that this was the right place for me. Because my husband got older, the taxes are affordable, and the house was suitable for just the two of us. And while I look at the original cost of purchasing this house, if I were to sell it now, I would make a nice profit. And since we are getter older, we are going to need those funds in the future when we do sell the house.

I thank God for the peace of where I have been living for the past 40 years.  I have had a peace of mind here; I don’t have to worry about paying exorbitant out of pocket expenses.  This is particularly important as we are senior citizens and living on a fixed income. 

I would encourage all believers to pray about your situations, trust God and recognize His voice when He speaks to your heart.  For great is His faithfulness.

Let us pray:

Gracious God, I thank you for the peace You give in every situation. Help us to rest in the calm of Your voice and follow where You lead. In Jesus’ name we do pray, Amen.

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