Jesus is Calling

Posted on Apr 21, 2023 posted by admin CATEGORIES: Bible Study, Devotions, General Tags:Tags: christian, church, lost, saved28

Apr '23

I’ve read and heard many people say that we won’t reach people in the church…that we have to move outside the church in order to reach people. I think I understand what they mean but I’m not so sure I agree.

Mark 1:45 says, “However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.”

This man went out and told others what Jesus had done for him. The people knew of his prior condition but now they were seeing a different man. When we allow Jesus to transform us into His image, when we truly live as Christ, then people will take notice and want to know what happened–how that transformation came about. They will want to know where we go to church, where they can find that for themselves. And when they show up at a church where true transformational change is taking place, they will desire to be part of that fellowship and come to know who Jesus is and what He can do in their lives.

Our issue is not the modern day church; it is the modern day version of a walk with Christ. Our issue is not offering a better program, but rather offering a better display of who Jesus is and what He can do and has done in our lives. Invite Jesus into your life, your church, and your fellowship and watch Him draw people to Himself. He is faithful.

Jan '23

Does Prayer Really Help?

Posted on Jan 12, 2023 posted by admin CATEGORIES: Bible Study, Devotions, Family in the Bible, General, Prayers, Reading the Bible Tags:Tags: exercise, hope, peace, prayer, wellness37

Jan '23

Hello. Yes. It helps. But how, you may ask? Perhaps your prayer life has been dry lately, and you’re tired of pushing prayer to the back burner. Maybe you’re finally returning to church after spending years away, or maybe you’ve never uttered a prayer ever. Either way, you’re curious about the power of prayer and how praying could change your life. If you need resources and support to inspire your prayer life, you can turn to Lizella Baptist and submit a question here. For now, take a peek at some benefits of prayer, from shifting your mindset to helping you live a healthier lifestyle.

Improved Physical Health

You might be surprised to learn that praying regularly can actually enhance your physical health! PsychCentral states that people who pray on a frequent basis tend to heal from illnesses faster, and also tend to have lower mortality rates. While prayer alone is certainly not a cure for any disease or chronic condition, praying can definitely be a boon for your overall health.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Reduced Stress

Prayer can help you get your stress under control. Today, it’s easy to feel like you’re drowning in stress – many people live such fast-paced lifestyles that it’s hard to find a moment to relax and unwind. When you pray, you come to recognize that you’re part of something bigger, and your own problems feel smaller and solvable in comparison. Medi-Share states that in some cases, praying can even help you alleviate the symptoms of mild physical ailments that are often exacerbated by stress and anxiety, such as headaches, stomach pains, and fatigue.

Coping With Tough Events

Everyone faces challenges in life. No matter who you are, you’ve probably dealt with obstacles that you weren’t sure you could ever overcome. Prayer in combination with reading God’s Word is two-way communication–it may help you avoid challenges, but when you find yourself in the midst of them, it can also empower you to better cope with tough events. There may be times when you’re wondering whether you can truly move on from a difficult event or if you’re capable of overcoming a major setback. When you pray, you find yourself tapping into a new source of strength, realizing you are never truly on your own. You have an ever-present companion, counselor and comforter in the Holy Spirit. Even when things feel difficult, you can find courage and conviction through prayer.

Positive Outlook

Do you ever struggle with a negative mindset? Maybe you have a tendency to assume that when you’re facing an uncertain situation, the outcome will not be in your favor. Personally? Been there. Many times. If you tend to have a pessimistic outlook, prayer can change that. As you pray, you might notice your perspective shifting – perhaps you realize that a situation that seemed negative actually has an upside, or you recognize that you have strengths beyond what you thought you were capable of.

Related Health and Wellness Strategies

While praying regularly can help you improve your physical health, it’s also important to incorporate other beneficial habits into your usual routines. For example, you could commit to cooking nutritious meals at home, going to bed earlier, or exercising several times per week. If you have a busy work schedule, you might assume that you don’t have enough time to exercise, but you can always incorporate more physical activity into your existing routine. You might choose to go for walks on your lunch break or park further away from destinations. Any moment outside in nature brings blessings and beauty from God’s creation your way, and in that, reason to pray and thank Him.

God has marvelously designed our bodies to refresh and renew with rest, nutrition, clean water and sunshine. While most folks recognize that balanced exposure to all of these sources of healing is optimal, there is no substitute for the hope and peace garnered from including prayer as part of your larger daily wellness routine. Spiritual wellness and emotional peace play equally important roles as sources of healing in physical wellbeing. We greatly encourage recording your prayers in a journal to help you more clearly recognize God’s hand of grace and provision in your life over time. This empowers you to praise God with heartfelt gratitude, which brings more positivity into your life and additional proven health benefits. Further, we are blessed when we obey Biblical commands. (Phil. 4:4-8 ESV)

Getting Started

What if you have never prayed or if it’s been a while since you last prayed, it’s never too late. No need to have any specific prayer in mind – you can pray about whatever happens to be on your heart! Prayer is simply conversation with God. 1 Peter 5:7 (ESV Bible) says, “Cast all your cares on Him, for He cares for you.” Chat with God as you would your Father; this is the familial relationship He expresses in His Word to us. The important thing is to be honest because He already knows what’s on your heart. He just knows you’ll feel better if you’ll give it to Him and trust Him with it. At first, you may feel self-conscious or nervous, or even silly or afraid. Persist. God loves you. His Son came, lived a perfect life, gave it up and then took it back again for you to have the privilege of relationship through prayer in this moment. Don’t let that go to waste. It’s a precious and priceless gift to you.

The Bible offers helpful instruction in praying which exhorts us to reflect on five aspects our relationship with God in our prayers:

Adoration and blessing – because we recognize God is worthy; we are dependent on Him for our very breath and life. He is truly marvelous and amazing.

Thanksgiving to Him – for His grace, His provision for Salvation through Jesus, and all our many blessings.

Petitions or supplications – those burdens we bring to the Lord for ourselves. He is Jehovah Jireh, our Provider. He is our Healer. He is our Sustainer and Protector and our everlasating Prince of Peace.

Intercessions – prayers for the needs of others.

Praises – we express love for Him (because He first loved us).

He promises when we pray this way, that the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:6-7, ESV Bible) That is a powerful promise for our health and well-being. And He is faithful to keep His Word.

Are you interested in deepening your prayer life? Reach out to us today.

Article submitted by Laura Pearson. Follow her at edutude.net.

May '22

Joy Comes in the Morning

Posted on May 2, 2022 posted by admin CATEGORIES: General Tags:Tags: depression, frustration, hope, hopelessness, joy, peace53

May '22

If you are a Christian, you have been sold a false bill of goods. Not because Christ has failed you. I’m not sure who dropped the ball, honestly. But it has fallen with a resounding thud, and I fear that no amount of mighty men will be able to pick it up again.

Somehow, we got it into our head that we could bring heaven to earth, that this could be our best life now, that if we’d just pray enough and tithe enough and smile enough, the brokenness of this world would simply recede into the background, a forgotten dream from nights long ago.

But you have been lied to. You thought that if you just lived a holy life, kept your nose clean, and stayed away from the big sins, all would be well. But we are not well. We are very, very sick. Sick with the stench of this earth’s sin. It belches it out, gushing heaps of miry clay onto what otherwise was a pretty nice-looking universe.

Children will still cry. Cars will still fail. Bills will still accumulate. Relationships will be broken. Cancers and cankers and ulcers will abound. You will not escape it. It will hunt you down, the hound of hell scenting the stench of your sin-stained blood.

But all is not lost.

Amidst the headache and heartache and gut-wrenching grief of traversing this accursed world lies a glint. It looks as if it mustn’t even be there, it’s so far in the distance. You’ve seen it in your waking hours, just as you glimpse out the window, before you put your glasses on. It tickles your dreams, belying some echo of what could be, what perhaps once was.

But it’s real. It’s very real. It is the realest of all realities. It is not an alternate universe. It is the universe. That pain you’re experiencing, that hurt you’ve endured, is a marker. It’s pointing you to something. Something far better than any utopia you’ve fashioned, any heaven on earth that you have imagined.

The hope of the gospel is not that we will enjoy a “blessed and highly favored” life this side of eternity. We will not. We will grieve, we will wretch, we will scream into the night sky “Why?!” We will wonder if it is all worth it, and why it must be so accursed as it is.

And, Jesus will say, “I endured far worse, so that you could enjoy far better.” He would say, “Don’t settle for the best this world can offer. Long for the Christ who is better than all.”

He endured the cross, despising its shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God, for the joy that was set before Him. For the joy. He endured, for the joy. He knew what awaited Him, and you can know what awaits you. Joy. Unspeakable, unfathomable, sin-smashing, pain-obliterating joy.

So, endure. After all, joy comes in the morning. And mourn you shall. But, oh the joy that awaits you. As Paul said, it will decimate whatever suffering you endured. Your best life is just around the bend, and you’re gonna make it.

You’re going to be just fine.

–Jeremy Luman

Feb '18

HOMECOMING IS COMING HOME

Posted on Feb 26, 2018 posted by admin CATEGORIES: Bible Study 107