Tag Archives: Hope

You Can Do It

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You ever felt like you couldn’t do something? Maybe a task at work. Maybe a homework assignment. Maybe you just feel overwhelmed by something.

Maybe you don’t feel like you are good enough to do something.

Maybe you don’t feel like you have the skills to do it.

May you just think that it’s impossible to do it.

You want to just stop and say, I can’t do it. There is no way that I can do this.

Jeremiah felt that way. God had called him to be a prophet, and he told God, basically, I can’t do this. There’s no way that I can do this thing that you’ve called me to do. It’s impossible.

Can’t happen.

By the way, that’s the reaction that most people have when they are called by God to do something. I can’t do it. There’s no way that I can do it. It’s just impossible. Can’t happen.

Listen to the words that God tells Jeremiah 1:6-8 this morning

Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, “I am only a youth”; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.”

Keep calm and believe you can do itHe says, don’t say that I’m too young. Don’t say that you can’t do it.

God says, if I tell you that you can do it, you can do it.

For I am with you. I will not leave you. I will not forsake you. In the midst of the troubles, trials, fears, worries, doubts, I am still God. I am still with you. I am still your rock and safety.

Do not worry. Do not fear.

For I am God.

And I am with you.

Do not say, – I can’t do this. You can. If God has called you to it, placed it on your heart, given you the vision, the calling, the passion, the heart for it, then you can do it.

He is with you. Do not fear. Do not worry. You can do it.

He is with you.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

A Light has Come

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lightI’ve been reading and talking a lot about darkness recently. Part of was the text that I preached from Sunday was John 1, which talked about The Light coming, and how it shines in the darkness.

And the darkness has not overcome it.

Remember y’all, that darkness will not overcome the light. It’s not going to happen. Light will win in the end.

With all that’s happened in the world in the last week, it’s easy to think that the darkness is going to win.

It’s not. Light wins.

Today, we see this passage that we all know so well from Isaiah. Listen to what it says in Isaiah 9:2, 6-7:

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

The people in darkness have seen a great light. Light has shown on them.

The darkness has fled. It is gone. It has vanished.

Light has come.

Well, what is this light?

Isaiah continues. To us, a child is born. A son is given. He is wonderful counselor, might God.

Prince of Peace.

He is the Lord.

He is Jesus.

No matter what darkness you are waking in today, let His light shine on you. And in you.

Maybe it’s the darkness of sadness over Newton.

Maybe it’s the darkness of worry over your own children.

Maybe it’s the darkness of depression.

Of fear.

Of worry.

Of brokenness.

No matter what darkness you are in right now, a light has come. A light as shown.
Let it shine in your life. Let it shine through your life.

Let it drive out the darkness in you. Let it shine out the darkness through you.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

For Our Good and God’s Glory

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One of things that I know in life that is true, is that all things will work out for our good and for God’s glory.

All things.

God is going to use every circumstance of your life and everything that happens in your day today for your good. And for His glory.

Listen to what God says through Paul today in 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12:

To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1-all-things-markHe says that God will give us power to fulfill every good work, so that the name of Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him.

In other words, today, in what’s happening, God, through His power, will work it out, in some way so that He receives glory.

No matter what it is. Somehow, no matter what’s happening, He is going to use it for His glory somehow.

His name will be praised through the circumstance of your life.

I don’t know how all the time, but it will.

And likewise, even if you don’t understand, He will work it out for your good as well. Somehow, someway, whatever it is that you are going through, God will work it out for you good.

You may think it’s impossible. And it may not be immediate. But, this situation you are going through, somehow, someway, God is going to work it out for your good, and for His glory.

He promised.

And He is true to His word.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

For God’s Glory

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God has promised to take care of us. To give us what we need. To give us life, grace, and mercy.

To restore us. To give us a hope. To give us a future. To give us life and peace.

The word says that God will give us the desires of our hearts. Now first, through He must have our hearts. So, when He has our hearts, the changes them, and forms them in His image.

And then, as our hearts are drawn closer to His heart, we gives us the desires of our heart.

But does all this, not just for us. But, for Him. Listen to what it says in Ezekiel 36:23-24:

And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land.

God will be at work in us, and for us, not just for us. But for His glory.

He is going to use all things in our lives in our lives and for His glory.

All things.

He is going to use you today in this day to bring glory to His name. You are His prized possession. You are the apple of His eye. He loves and adores you.

And He will give you life and grace and peace.

And He will use all of your life, all of your circumstances, all that you are for His glory.

Today, all things in life, they will work for our good. And for God’s glory.

All things will. He has promised us.

And so when life is hard, we don’t understand or question or doubt or are afraid.

Remember. It will work for our good, and for God’s glory.

Remember. All things.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

My Favorite Promise

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God makes a lot of promises to us in His Word. He says a lot of things to us that give us hope, give us peace, give us courage.

He will never leave nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6)

He has good plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11)

We can do all things through Him (Philippians 4:13)

Nothing can separate us from God’s love Romans 8:37-39)

There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

We could go on an on.

But today, the passage we are reading, it has perhaps my favorite of God’s promises to us. Listen to what it says today in Jeremiah 31:33-34:

But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

We focus a lot (and rightfully so) about the part where we promised that God will give us a new covenant, where He will write His law on our heart.

God wants us to know that our faith moves from being an outward (action) based thing to an inward (heart) based thing.

God wants your heart. If He has your heart, He will have your actions.

And that’s all pretty awesome. Good stuff. But, I love what it says most of all, after that. Jeremiah tells us that will forgive our sins and, here’s the kicker to me, remember them no more.

That’s a promise. From God.

Not only will He forgive your sin, which is a big deal. But He will forget it.

It’s done.

Gone.

Forgiven.

Forgotten.

The sin that you can’t forgive yourself of, that you can’t let go of, that keeps you up at night, that robs your peace and joy?

Not only has God forgiven it. He has forgotten it.

His word promises that.

Today, let God. Forgive. Forget. Move into the new life that God has for you.

Today, you are a forgiven child of God. Live like it! Live in that new grace today, and each day.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Have Faith

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It takes faith to live. It takes faith to hope. It takes faith to believe.

Faith that things will get better. Faith that things can change. Faith that you, that I, that we can change.

Faith that the story of yesterday will not be the story of today, or tomorrow.

Faith in a new hope, a new life, a new dream.

Faith in God.

Particularly when we don’t see it. When it’s cloudy outside. When there doesn’t seem to be any reason to hope or dream or have faith.

But faith says that there is more than what we can see with our eyes. Faith says that there is a bigger truth and a bigger hope out there than we can ever imagine. Faith calls us to believe in something, or someone, bigger than us.

That is holding it all together.

Listen to what is says today in Hebrews 11:1-3:

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

The people of old believed that God created the universe, even though they didn’t see it. They believed. Even though their eyes were not there to witness it.

Faith says that there is more than our eyes see, our ears hear, our mind understands.

Faith says that God is at work.

That He is our hope. Our dream. Our change. Our life.

Faith says that there is more around that us. That we are not our only hope. That it is not up to us alone. That there is more happening than we will ever understand.

Faith says this, the God that created the universe, He’s got this.

Have faith today. Know that there’s more going on that you can know. Trust in it.

Trust in God. Even when you can’t see. And don’t understand.

Have faith. Even when we don’t know why.

Because God is alive and at work.

Have faith.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

When Trouble Comes

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When trouble comes, what is your life built upon?

Not if trouble comes. But when. We all wish that life was always perfect and easy and calm and fun.

And for many times in life, it is. There are always joyful times. Many, many moments in life are amazingly awesome. Times of great fun, times of laughter and joy.

These fun memories that shape our soul and stir us up. Those are the good times.

But, scripture makes us a promise. There will be times of trial.

The 23rd Psalm tells us “when I walk the valley of the shadow of death. . . ”

And today, in Luke 6: 47-49, listen to what Jesus tells us:

Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

When the flood arose. When waters come.

When trouble comes. What will we do.

Well, we quoted part of the 23rd Psalm, but we all know the rest. When we walk through the valley, we will fear no evil. For thou art with us. Even in the valley of the shadow, we don’t have to fear evil.

For God is with us.

And when the flood waters come. When the rain and the wind and the storms comes, if our lives are built on the rock of Christ Jesus, we will be ok. For He is the firm foundation. He is the rock. He is the life. He is the cornerstone.

We don’t have to fear the flood or the storm. We don’t have to fear the future. We don’t have to fear the unknown.

For, if our life is build on the rock of Christ Jesus, when trouble comes, we will be ok.

Trust in Him today. And He will take care of us. May we trust in Him in all of our lives, and with all of our lives.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Some Monday Encouragement

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Ugh, Monday! Who likes them? I mean, really, who wanted to get out of bed this morning.

Some weeks, some Mondays we need a little (or a lot) or encouragement to get going. That little extra kick. That little extra cup (or five) of coffee in the morning.

Sometimes, we need a little extra Monday encouragement.

Well, here you go. And from a surprising place. Deuteronomy.  Listen Deuteronomy 7:6-8:

For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Listen to what we are told today. God has chosen you as His treasured possession, out of all the earth.

He has chosen you! He loves you! You are His prize this morning. You have a worth to God this morning great than you can even imagine. You are more valuable to the king of eternity than anything else in all of creation!

Wow!

The God that made everything, both seen and unseen, has chosen to love you, know you, save you!

But, you think, I haven’t earned that.

Exactly, that’s what makes it even better. He hasn’t chosen us because of anything we’ve done. He loves us because of who He is! He loves us because of what He’s done.

So, bring it on Monday. You can’t touch us. We have been chosen and loved by a Holy God. He has freed us, loves us, and will never leave us.

Nothing can stop that. Even Monday!

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Good Will Win

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I just got back from the Mississippi Annual Conference this past weekend. It’s the yearly gathering of pastors from all around the state. There are times of worship, times of business, times of reflection.

And in the state of the current United Methodist Church, times of sadness. We closed more churches in Mississippi last year than we started. We had more pastors retire than were commissioned for ministry. Our budget remains very, very tight, and we are only meeting 80% of it.

Not to mention all controversies that swirl around the national/international church.

But it’s not just the Methodists that struggle. Every denomination has plateaued. The largest growing religions group in our nation is “those not affiliated,” meaning they aren’t part of a church.

We see these things locally with many churches in our hometowns struggling to grow, to meet their financial obligations, to be relevant in their communities.

So, with all that in mind, listen to what Jesus says to Peter today in Matthew 16:17-18:

And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

To those of you in a panic today about your church, your larger tradition, all of these things, listen to Jesus.

The gates of hell will not triumph against His church. God will win. Good will win. The Body of Christ will be victorious in the end.

The church is His body and His bride, and He will return for Her one day. So, yes, in 2012, it may look like things are bad, but, His word tells us that He will win.

Evil will not. Death will not. Pain will not.

Good will win. In life. In the church. In the universe.

In your life.

So, hold on, hold fast. Help is on the way. Don’t lose sight of that. Don’t forget.

God will win.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Lord Make Us One?

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We live in a world of differences. We all have our side. Sports, politics, music, hobbies, churches, we all have different likes and dislikes, different things that really are significant, but that separate us.

And we live in an age we are told and encouraged to put our differences aside and work together.

And you know what? That’s hard. It’s hard to be one. It’s hard to be united. It’s hard to be on the same page.

Even with someone you like. It’s hard to always agree and work together.

And so, when the church and when our faith calls us to be one, the question is how?

Lord, make us one. How?

Listen to what Paul says this morning in Ephesians 2:16-19:

and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

Paul says that we are reconciled into one body, through the cross and through Jesus. Through Him, we are no longer strangers, through Him, we are fellow citizens, through Him, we have the same father.

Through Him. Through Jesus. Through ourselves, we will tear each other apart. We will fuss and fight. We will find our problems, and find the things that we disagree on and that separate us.

When we focus on ourselves, we find division. When we focus on Jesus, we find unity. He is our unity. He is our peace. He is our hope. He is our life.

When we place the focus on ourselves, our stuff, and our opinions, we will find and have more division.

When we take our eyes off ourselves, and put them on Jesus, His life, death, and resurrection, we find unity, hope and peace.

Lord, today, please make us one. Let us each focus on Jesus with all that we are. And in that, we can find that unity.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.