He Is Calling You by Name…

by Dottie Ryan

Believer, the Lord has called you by name.  Isaiah 43:1 NIV says: ” I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”  Can you take that in?  To think that each believer has been called by the Lord and that He has your name carved in the palm of His hand!  He knows your name!  I wonder if I might ask you to pause to hear His voice speak your name personally?

He is calling you by name . . .

I love cuddling up in my special corner of the couch in front of the fireplace where wood is burning.  It sooths my soul as I am still able to look outside at the beauty of the fall and winter landscape, yet still be warmed and pampered by the protection of the walls of my living room.  The cool weather recently gave me a glimpse that we are headed into that season shortly.  And when I reflect on the warmth and protection afforded me by my inside surroundings — even the flickering of the light of the fireplace — I think of the warmth and shelter of His wings, the light of Jesus and the Gospel, and just how sweet the season will be to sit at His feet to listen, study, worship, and get to know My Lord a little deeper — a little more personally.  So I trust it is by His design that this particular Discipleship study would come at a time when there are limited ‘outside’ distractions.

I guess I am a romantic at heart.  The thought of spending a special season, just Him and me, sounds . . . really sweet — really comforting.   I long for a deeper, richer, more intimate walk with God.  He is wooing us.  He loves us.  Do you sense that?  Can you hear Him calling you, “Come sit at my feet and let’s get to know each other a little better“?   Those may not be His exact words, but in the Bible He is very deliberate to always invite us to, “Come! . . . Come unto me…Come and drink . . . Come and learn . . . Come just as you are . . . Come away with me!” You are being drawn — by design — for a purpose.  He is so good!  And He loves you more than you can imagine. Believe it!

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Guard the Gates

Thistlebend Quiet eMoment

by Laurie Aker

Focus Scripture: Luke 4:42-44 ESV

42 And when it was day,  
he departed and went into a desolate place.
And the people sought him and came to him,  
and would have kept him from leaving them,
43 but he said to them, “I must preach the good news  
of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well;  
for I was sent for this purpose.” 
44 And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
______________________________

Jesus came to preach the good news of the kingdom of God.

What is the Kingdom of God?

Here is a definition by Dr. Russell Moore:

“The kingdom of God, then,
is the good news that the right rule of God,
and the right rule of man–
a rule our ancestors Adam and Eve lost–
have come together in the right rule
of one right God-man: Jesus of Nazareth.
In his sin-resisting life, his wisdom-saturated teaching,
his demon-exorcising power,
his substitutionary, conquering death,
and his justifying, victorious resurrection, Christ is king.
That king, through his Spirit, invites all men to believe by faith
what they’ll someday see by sight–
what everyone will someday see by sight: Jesus is Lord.
Jesus forgives. Jesus is king.
And his reign will extend to the corner of every galaxy, forever.”

The kingdom of God is our hope in the future,
but it is also a very real part of our reality now.

Luke 17:20-21
Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come,  
he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs  
to be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’
for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”

The kingdom of God is spiritual.
It is the rule and reign of God.

TAKING GOD’S WORD TO HEART

We don’t want other things to rule our heart.

We want His kingdom to rule and reign within.
So, if we might use this metaphor, we must guard
the reign of this kingdom that lies within our heart.
We must put a moat around it
and set watchmen at every post day and night.
We must guard our thoughts, our attitudes, our beliefs
and ask, “What is entering into the gates of my heart?”

Think for a moment, “What do I spend my time thinking about?
What do I spend my energy on?
What are my goals and aspirations?
Do they align with God and His Word?”

Proverbs 4:23
 Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.

Ezekiel 14:3
Son of man these men have taken their idols into their hearts,  
and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces.
Should I indeed let myself be consulted by them?

I pray throughout the day that the Lord would reveal to me
if there is any thing in my heart
that would keep me from Him and His ways.
I ask Him if there is anything that would
set itself up against His kingdom,
if there is anything that has subtly crept in
disguising itself as a “friend” when it is really a foe.

MEDITATE or MEMORIZE

Write out the following verse from Luke 4 and recite it 3 times.
Take it with you throughout the day.

42 And when it was day,  
he departed and went into a desolate place.

PRAYER

Lord God,
please give us grace to keep our eyes on you, our King,
and help us live according to your reign and no other.
May your name be honored, your kingdom come,
and your will be done.

In His hands for His glory,

Laurie
_____________________________

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What Is My Purpose?

Thistlebend Quiet eMoment

by Laurie Aker

Focus Scripture: Luke 4:42-44 ESV

42 And when it was day,  
he departed and went into a desolate place.
And the people sought him and came to him,  
and would have kept him from leaving them,
43 but he said to them, “I must preach the good news  
of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well;  
for I was sent for this purpose.” 
44 And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
______________________________

“I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God
to the other towns as well;
for I was sent for this purpose” (Luke 4:43).

I love John Calvin’s commentary on this verse.
It makes my heart sing as I read his comment that Jesus’
“earnest desire [was] to fulfill his office”…and the call of His Father.

God sent Jesus to preach the Good News of the Gospel.
It was one of God’s primary purposes for Jesus.
He was not sent into the world to live for Himself,
He came to live for others and to die for others.

We were not sent into this world to live for self,
but to live for God.
It takes most of us quite a while
to learn to truly live for others,
to absorb that this life we live is not all about us,
nor all about now.
Sadly, many never get past themselves
and their needs, their wants, and their desires.

TAKING GOD’S WORD TO HEART

It is a painful realization that we have
no power to transform our hearts.
We are utterly dependent on our Lord
to preach the Gospel to our hearts,
and utterly dependent on Him
to open our eyes to Him and to His purpose for our life.

I pray continually that the Lord would move the mountains
in my heart that keep me from Him and His ways.
That He would transform me more and more each day
so that there would be less and less of me.
Trusting God to transform our hearts
let’s walk in His purpose for us.

Ephesians 2:8-10
For by grace you have been saved through faith;  
and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;  
not as a result of works, that no one should boast. 
For we are His workmanship,  
created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand,  
that we should walk in them.

MEDITATE or MEMORIZE

Write out the following verse from Luke 4 and recite it 3 times.
Take it with you throughout the day.

42 And when it was day,  
he departed and went into a desolate place.

PRAYER

Lord God, help me to walk in your purpose for me
as you transform my heart.

In His hands for His glory,
Laurie
_____________________________

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