The MPC Podcast

Scripture:

“The grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever!”    Isaiah 40:8

Thought:

This is one of my favorite verses in the bible because although it’s a short verse, it carries a lot of power. The Prophet Isaiah was tasked with delivering a message of hope and comfort to God’s people while being held in captivity in Babylon. As we all know, grass and flowers tend to dry up, shrink, wilt, lose their freshness, brilliance of color and vitality.

In a similar fashion, the human experience is like grass that withers and flowers that fade.  The travails of life can beat down one’s spirit and self-esteem leaving you feeling defeated, depressed, and devoid of life. Problems on the job or in the home can zap one’s energy and zest for life making you feel shriveled up, discouraged, and disappointed.

The Prophet Isaiah was given the assignment of providing hope to Israel, letting them know that despite their captivity in Babylon, that the Great Shepherd of Israel and God of all creation would comfort and save his people.  Great historical leaders and great empires like Babylon are here today and gone tomorrow.

Amid the fragility and instability of the human experience, there is only one thing that remains forever and stands the test of time. That is God’s Word. People, places, and things are transient, temporary, and fleeting. The Word of our God is permanent, eternal, and undying. 

The Word of God is powerful, reliable, and unswerving. God is a promise keeper! “Not a single one of all the good promises the Lord had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything He had spoken came true!” (Joshua 21:45).

Let’s rejoice and take comfort in our collective faith that is based on the solid rock of God’s unfailing Word that stands forever! 

Prayer:

Father God, we thank you for your unfailing love. We thank you for your goodness, graciousness, and everlasting mercy. We pray that we can be reflection of your love now and forever more. In Jesus’ name we pray.  

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Scripture:

"The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." 

Lamentations 3:25-26 NIV.

Thought: 

Why does God make us wait?

We know that God gives us the opportunity to place our faith and trust in Him, to be grateful for His provision, and to recognize His divine plan. God wants us to remain in a state of faith, trusting Him and relying on Him. We know He is faithful, and He will fulfill His promises in His perfect timing, just like He did with Joseph.

Prayer:

Lord God, please grant us patience, and guide us toward what you have planned for our lives. Allow us to understand that when we surrender to you, our efforts will not be in vain, and the glory will be yours. Amen.

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Scripture:

“Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:24-25, New Living Translation.

Thought:

I recently had an encounter with someone I had newly met who had observed my random act of kindness and was very much aware of my generosity. That person shared with me that I wasn’t going to get a thank you note or a Christmas card from those that I had given to. I didn’t get upset because one part of me was grateful for her courage and honesty to warn me. And that she even cared. However, I didn’t and I haven’t shared my personal story because sometimes we don’t know other peoples’ stories and their truths. 

There was a time when I was divorced, working two jobs, and barely making ends meet. I felt that time would never end. I prayed a lot and promised God that when He blessed me that I would bless others. I also promised God that I would be in a church every Sunday and that I would support that church and participate in some church activities.  That was over 50 years ago. I was 28 years old back then and since that time I have seen fully and became aware of God being good to me. Therefore, I want to keep my promise to God. There are people who mean well but don’t understand your calling. Therefore, they can discourage you, which ends up with them not doing anything and neither are you. And nothing gets done. 

I love Charles Stanley and I have listened to him since 1983 until he recently passed away. One of his encouragements was to “obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.” I heard and I know that when God places something on my heart, I must comply.  Like in encouraging someone or to give at a particular time. Because I desire with all my heart to be a follower of Jesus and not a fan,  I choose to be obedient. God has rewarded me in so many ways; I am truly grateful to Him which is why I do what I do as I feel obedience is better than sacrifice.

God, you are a promise keeper. You have enabled and strengthen me to keep my promises to you - be it small or otherwise. For your Word tells me that you always bless obedience and nothing good would you withhold from those that walk uprightly before You. I am a witness to this.   (Joel 2: 25 – “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten.)”

Let us Pray:

Father God, it is my prayer that you make yourself known to us and that we may be willing to surrender to your calling. The Bible says that we will be known as Christians by our love. May it be so for each of us, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

James 1:12, NLT

We often get upset when someone’s not treating us right or lets us down, when a relationship disappoints us, or when incorrect assumptions are made about us or our motives. We all face situations where things don’t go as planned, and it’s easy to become frustrated when circumstances just don’t seem to be improving.  But much of what we face in life is a test. We don’t really know what’s in us until we’re put under pressure. It’s easy to have a good attitude when people are being good to us and doors are opening. But how about when it’s just the opposite?

Before Jesus was crucified, Peter told Him, “I will lay down my life for You.” Peter’s heart was right, and that statement was easy to make at the Passover meal in an atmosphere of faith. But when the heat was turned up and Peter was confronted about being Jesus’ disciple during His trial, Peter denied he knew Jesus three times. Pressure usually brings to light weaknesses in our character. If we’re willing to change, to make adjustments, to start passing those tests, God will trust us with MORE of His favor, as He did Peter. God doesn’t give up on us when we fail.

Following Christ is a marathon with hardships, obstacles, and unexpected turns. As a follower of Jesus, giving up is not who we are; God equips us to finish strong. Even when we don’t see it or feel it, He’s working….working things out for our good. 2 Corinthians 11:22-28 describes all the apostle Paul endured for Christ, yet he did not quit. Why? Because of His awareness that God was with Him. Like Paul, we must keep on keeping on. The awareness of His presence will take us through things that nothing else will. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!

 If we believe that what God says is true and that He is true to His word, then we know there is MORE in store if we endure. Our season of preparation will lead to promotion. So, let’s press on, for we are guaranteed victory, joy, and eternity with Him.

Father, thank You that You are using the pressure of challenges and temptations to make us stronger and grow us up. Thank You that every test of our faith is preparing us to overcome and persevere, to go higher and increase. We believe that if we endure, we will be rewarded. On this Lenten journey, help us to remain faithful, to trust and obey, and to stand on Your word. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”

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Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  ~ Matthew 4:1

Lent is an interesting season – one of self-denial, penitence, prayer and reflection. I often wondered why we, as Christ’s followers, needed to fast for 40 days. Is this merely a ritual that we’ve become accustomed to observing or is there any significance to this discipline? Well, if we look at the life of Jesus, he fasted for 40 days after being baptized by his cousin John the Baptist and before he began his earthly ministry. He refused to eat things that would typically sustain his human form because he was preparing for another level of service. Jesus, the Godman, was doing less and becoming more. I challenge each of you who’ve begun this journey of doing less to understand a few things:

1.    Saying no to something that gives you pleasure (like food) has tangible and intangible benefits

2.    Your period of restricting yourself is not a forever proposition. This too shall pass

3.    After it’s over, like Jesus, you’ll be tested in the areas of passion, power and praise

4.    When you pass these tests, angels will be dispatched to minister to you

5.    The test prepares us for other levels of service

6.    The Lord is always with you

So, family, take full advantage of this time of testing, understanding that when you pass the test of doing less, God has more in store for your life!

Let us pray:

Gracious God, we thank You for this season of doing less. We ask that You would be present for every one of these Lenten days. Remind us that, after our testing, our more is on the way. Give us the wherewithal to handle our more, to walk in our more and to enjoy the more You have in store. This we pray, in Jesus’s name, Amen.

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         17 To Adam he said, “because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you will return.“ ~ Genesis 3:17-19 NIV

         Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent reminds us that we are from dust and return to dust. It also reminds us, that we will die and face the consequences of sin. Lent is an invitation to reflect, repent, and renew our commitment to living a life of faith.

         As we look back on our Christian journey, we may notice that there have been hills and valleys. Nevertheless, we know that true repentance brings about forgiveness. Our receiving of ashes is a sign of penance. 

         Ashes have a place of prominence throughout the Old Testament. Ashes were used by Job, Daniel, Jeremiah, and the king of Nineveh to denote penance. The Lenten season is supposed to encourage spiritual growth and deeper faith. For some it means giving something up for the entire forty-day period, while others engage in acts of giving and service.

         What does it take for your faith life to be renewed? Only you and the Lord know.

Lenten Prayer

Heavenly Father, guide us through the season of reflection, repentance and renewal. Lord, you know that we are in the midst of dangers seen and unseen. We cannot face them in our weakness. Grant us strength and grant us protection. Support us in all danger, and carry us through all temptations. We offer this prayer in the name of your son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

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Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. Our meditation for today comes from Psalm 63:1-3 NRSV.

O God, you are my God; I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. 3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.

David pens this prayer while on the run from Saul in the wilderness of Judah. Judah means praise the Lord and David is running for his life while landing in a place with a name to remind him to give God praise in all circumstances. But what is particularly striking is this longing for the presence of God that is described as physical longings - thirsting and fainting. Yet there is a memory of worship, a recalling of the presence of God and His loyal love that encourages the heart of the fugitive, the man on the run to the point that he moves from being in a place of praise to actually offering God a praise. As we are in this final week of Lent, Passion week, let us seek to lean into Christ so that we too may be a praise unto God. 

Heavenly and loving God, may we seek your presence with greater intensity, may we long to draw closer to your bleeding side and May we always remember that your love is loyal and faithful. In Jesus’s name, Amen.

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“Then Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. The tempter came to Him and said, “if you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”                                                             Matthew 4:1-3 NIV

It was not until AFTER the fast, that Jesus was tempted by Satan, when Jesus might have been His most vulnerable. It was then, that the power of the Lord was most apparent. It was then, that the REAL work began. Jesus’ ministry started in earnest AFTER His victory over these snares that had been set by the devil.  

We must be careful not to let our guard down AFTER we end our period of fasting and prayer. The devil continues to prowl in search of our vulnerabilities. We cannot become complacent when we pass through these trials, we must remain strong and resolute because when our fast is over…. the REAL work begins.

Dear Lord, help us to remain strong and faithful to our pledge to you. We know that we need to persevere during our time of fasting, but help us to continue to be strong, after, our fast when our guard may be down. Lord, protect us and provide us with the strength of character you modeled to us through the scriptures. We ask this in the name of your son, Jesus our Lord, Amen. 

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“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”                                                                                           John 1:29 NIV

The world grovels at the feet of people who are high achievers in finance, or those from the music theater, or movie industries, or from sports or dance; you name it. We laud praise and honor on the “flavor of the month.” We prostrate ourselves at the altars of the glamorous, the beautiful, the influencers.

A new acronym has entered our jargon: G.O.A.T., the Greatest Of All Times, which  identifies people who have excelled in their fields, like Tom Brady, the greatest quarterback in the NFL; Pele, the greatest soccer player of all time; LeBron James, the greatest NBA player (now that he has surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for career scoring record, he surpasses Michael Jordan; for some that is still a “maybe”); Serena, greatest female professional tennis player; just her first name is enough for people to know who she is. We have Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy as the greatest female and male screen legends. In dance we have Anna Pavlova, a ballerina, and Michael Jackson as the all-time greatest dancers. In the world of finance and money, we have Jeff Bezos, Oprah Winfrey, and Bill Gates.

But at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that the REAL G.O.A.T is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. A man who is the living Word, the Logos, very God from very God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light. His sacrifice, not just the bloodied dying on a cross but the separation from His Father, “My God, My God why have You forsaken Me?” has given me, you, and all humankind the redemption that only His death and resurrection could achieve. Only God could pay the penalty that the righteous, just God of the Hebrew people demanded, the very God whose name is so precious and sacred that He is  YHWH, the Elohim of our salvation, the bright and morning star, the Yes and Amen, the Alpha and Omega, the One True God, King of kings and Lord of Lords, the mighty Counselor, the Prince of my peace and your peace, the Lamb of God. The great I AM.

Pray with me:

Lord, You are the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Abide with us this day; capture our hearts and imaginations so that during this Lenten season, all we see is You and who we truly are in You.  In Your precious, forgiving, loving, restoring, redemptive Name, Jesus the Christ. Huzzah! So Be It.

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Isaiah 58:11 The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

This is a promise from God! It is so reassuring to know that our God is always there to guide us!

We need continual direction from God so we should always seek him so we don’t miss our way or go off course. When we don’t understand something, we should first go to the Lord for wisdom. God is the only one that has all of the answers. He is the only one that can satisfy us. We may look for different things that give us satisfaction – money, a job, people but none of those things will last. We could be waiting on something – healing in our body, a spouse or that next promotion or job. These things can be a burden to us. So, in those rough times when it seems as if we are in a drought, we need to pray and have faith in God so we can break free from these burdens. He will give us what we need. He is our strength! Jesus Christ is the unending fountain of water that we can drink from and never be thirsty again.  He will surely sustain us and give us water to drink. Seek him and we will be like a watered garden – healthy and satisfied as only God can satisfy us.

Lord, I thank you that you are always there to guide me. When I don’t know which way to go, I can look to You for direction. You are the only wise God. You are the lifter of my head. When I feel weak, you strengthen me. Thank you, Lord, for helping me with every decision, big and small. Thank you for continually guiding us in the way we should go, and teaching us all things, through the power of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

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