Devoted to Closeness (Oct 17)

Posted on October 18, 2014 by pastorjeffsneighborhood
From Open Up Your Heart by Jeff Syverson

From Open Up Your Heart by Jeff Syverson

October 17
Devoted to Closeness

Today’s Scripture Readings: Psalm 116:15-19 | Jeremiah 30:1-31:26 | 1 Timothy 2:1-15 | Proverbs 25:18-19

Today’s Scripture Focus: Jeremiah 30:1-31:26

“Who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?”(Jeremiah 30:21b NIV)

Jeremiah speaks the word of God to the people of Judah. He reminds them that though they will go through a time of judgment, God will not forget them. One day, he will break their bonds of oppression and bring them back to Judah. Their captivity will not last forever.

God offers them hope of a fresh start. He extends another chance to live in the blessings promised to God’s chosen people when they live according to the covenant.

One of the things he promises them is a leader like David, a man after God’s own heart; A ruler who followed God with his whole heart. “They will serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them” (9).

He describes the leader this way: “He will be one of their own; the ruler will arise from among them. I will bring him near and he will come close to me.” Then God asks a haunting question: “Who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?”

What is God looking for in his people? He is looking for people who are devoted to be close to Him. What is God looking for, especially in leaders? He is looking for leaders who are devoted to be close to Him.

God continues to look for those who walk close to him. He continues to draw near to those who are men and women “after His own heart.” Those who are devoted to closeness are those who walk closely to Him, who hear his voice and feel his heartbeat. They are the ones who can dream God’s dreams and see God’s vision. They are the ones who walk in the authority that flows from intimacy. It is a necessary quality for great leadership.

“Who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?” I want to answer, “I will.” I hope that you will answer the same.

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How Could We Ever Repay the LORD for His Goodness? (Oct 16)

Posted on October 16, 2014 by pastorjeffsneighborhood
Quote from Open Up Your heart

Quote from Open Up Your heart

October 16
How Could We Ever Repay the Lord for His Goodness?

Today’s Scripture Readings: Psalm 116:7-14 | Jeremiah 28:1 – 29:32 | 1 Timothy 1:1-20 | Proverbs 25:17

Today’s Scripture Focus: Psalms 116:7-14

“How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.” (Psalm 116:12-13 NIV)

I am always excited when I see God answer prayer. Especially when he does something I’ve been praying about for a long time. In such times we say with the Psalmist: “Be at rest, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.”

God is good. He is benevolent, loving and generous in his nature. He loves to do good things for his people. “I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul” Jeremiah 32:41 (ESV). He has good plans for his people (Jeremiah 29:11). He demonstrates that goodness in many ways, but especially by answering prayer.

When he shows his goodness and answers our prayers, often in ways more gracious and wonderful than we have asked or imagined, we ask (like the psalmist) “what can I do to repay you?”

The question is rhetorical, in one sense. There is nothing we can do to repay him of course. You just can’t “outgive” God. How could we even try?

Thanksgiving would be an appropriate response, and nothing in his response takes away from that, but even it just doesn’t seem adequate to express all the gratitude we feel in our hearts in such times.

So what can we do to repay him? We can “lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.” In other words, we can continue to honor him as God, not only by rejoicing in his answer (his salvation), but also by continuing to cry out to him for further answers to prayer (call on his name).

Isn’t that an amazing answer? The only real repayment is found in our continuing to come back to him again and again with our needs. When we do so, we rejoice in his goodness and honor him as God. He is glorified and his name is lifted up as we continue to call out him in prayer for even more of his goodness in continuing to answer our prayers. Our continued prayerful dependence—our longing for his continued goodness—brings him delight.

“Thanks Lord for the answer, now I lift up my cup again and call out to you for another answer to my prayers.” Isn’t he good?

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Open Doors and Open Hearts (Oct 15)

Posted on October 15, 2014 by pastorjeffsneighborhood

 

Quote from Open Up Your Heart by Jeff Syverson

Quote from Open Up Your Heart by Jeff Syverson

October 15
Open Doors and Open Hearts

Todays’ Scripture Readings: Psalm 116:1-6 | Jeremiah 26:1 – 27:22 | 2 Thessalonians 3:1 – 18 | Proverbs 25:16

Today’s Scripture Focus: 2 Thessalonians 3:1-18

“Pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.” (2 Thessalonians 3:1 NIV)

What are your prayer priorities? Where do you spend your time in prayer? Many focus most of their prayer time on their shopping list of personal needs. If they do pray for others it is mostly prayer for physical and financial needs.

There is certainly a place for your personal petitions, and it is important to intercede for others in the body of Christ for healing and finances, but we must also be interceding for those who have not responded to the good news of Jesus Christ. That is the neglected but very important priority of prayer.

Paul’s prayer request, “Pray that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored,” is a reminder to us that an important focus of our prayers should be effective evangelism—for our pastors, for our churches, for our missionaries and especially for ourselves.

Pray for your co-workers, friends, neighbors and relatives to hear and honor the message of the Lord. Pray for those you know in ministry that their ministry efforts will be fruitful—that the message of the Lord will spread rapidly and be honored among those to whom they minister. Pray that God will open doors for you to share the love and message of Christ to those you know who need to hear it.

God wants to use you to share his message of good news. He wants to use your prayers. Prayer lays the foundation for effective sharing. Prayer opens doors and opens hearts.

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Never Ending Encouragement (Oct 14)

Posted on October 15, 2014 by pastorjeffsneighborhood
From Open Up Your Heart by Jeff Syverson

From Open Up Your Heart by Jeff Syverson

Never Ending Encouragement

Today’s Scripture Readings Psalms 115:14-18 | Jeremiah 23:21-25:38 | 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17 | Proverbs 25:15

Today’s Scripture Focus: 2 Thessalonians 2

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, [17] encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 NIV)

The Thessalonians were going through difficult times of suffering and persecution. They were beat up and bruised by the circumstances of life. They hoped that Jesus would return quickly, but were beginning to wonder if they had missed out somehow.

Paul writes them words of comfort and encouragement. He assures them that they should not lose hope; that they should continue to look forward to Christ’s coming. They should continue to minister and encourage each other in the midst of all their suffering.

Paul also prays a blessing for them: May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, [17] encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. (2 Thessalonians. 2:16-17 NIV)

He reminds them that God loves them and has graced them with encouragement and hope that is eternal. He prays that they might continue to experience more of that encouragement. He prays that they would be strengthened in every thing they do and say.

Perhaps you need a fresh touch of God’s love and encouragement. Maybe you need God to give you a clearer sense of the good hope that is yours in Christ. Maybe you need his strengthening power in every good deed and word today. I pray that Paul’s blessing for the Thessalonians may be yours today. Receive it!

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Beyond Good Intentions (Oct 13)

Posted on October 13, 2014 by pastorjeffsneighborhood
From Open Up Your Heart by Jeff Syverson

From Open Up Your Heart by Jeff Syverson

October 13
Beyond Good Intentions

Today’s Scripture Readings Psalm 115:9-13 | Jeremiah 22:1-23:20 | 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12 | Proverbs 25:11-14

Today’s Scripture Focus: 2 Thessalonians 1

“We constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you in him.” (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 NIV)

Here is another of Paul’s great prayers. Again, I encourage you to make these prayers a regular part of your prayer life.

Note Paul’s consistency: “we constantly pray for you.” Paul understood the need for prayer–persevering prayer. So often we grow tired and give up. Paul kept on praying for them. His prayer life is an example to us–and a challenge to us.

His petition is that “God would count them worthy of his calling.” They were undergoing “persecutions and trials” (4). Paul’s prayer is that they would remain faithful and persevere even through the difficult times, the trials of life are where our faith is tested and proved. It is especially in those times we need this prayer, “God enable me to walk in a way that is worthy of my calling. It’s not easy right now, I need your help.”

Paul then gets specific in his praying. Here is how I’m asking God to do this: “by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith.” He is asking God to give them the power of the Holy Spirit to follow through and be obedient. They want to live lives that are worthy, but they need the power of the Holy Spirit to do so.

In our own strength, we have many good purposes and many good intentions, but little follow through. Paul is praying for the strength to follow through and accomplish all the good things we intend to do for the Lord. Paul is praying for these Christians to not only be people of good intentions, but people who follow through to finish all that God has called them to do–and to finish well.

The reason for this prayer? “We pray this 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.” The “so that” of Paul’s prayer–the reason–is that he wants the name of Jesus to be glorified as we live in intimate fellowship with Him by his grace. Following through and living lives in a way that glorifies Jesus, especially when it difficult to do so–when life is hard–that’s real Christianity. That’s the kind of Christianity that offers hope to the world. It’s what we all need.

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Always (Oct 12)

Posted on October 12, 2014 by pastorjeffsneighborhood

always

October 12
Always

Today’s Scripture Readings Psalms 115:1-8 | Jeremiah 19:1-21:14 | 1 Thessalonians 5:4-28 | Proverbs 25:8-10

Today’s Scripture Focus: 1 Thessalonians 5

Be joyful always; [17] pray continually; [18] give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV)

We all have times where we are joyful, times when we pray, and times when we are thankful. But are we always joyful? Do we pray continually (without ceasing)? Are we truly thankful in all circumstances? Words like all and always make these verses difficult. Yet, this is God’s will for you.

God’s intention for you is that you would find joy in all things. Happiness often eludes us in the tough times. But God’s deep down gladness can be found even when times are tough. But it is a choice. “Count it all joy,” James reminds us, “when you face trials of many kinds.”

Joy is produced in us by the Holy Spirit. It flows from our times in the presence of God in prayer and worship. As we spend time in his presence, he fills us with his joy. The overflow of that joy creates a reservoir of the heart. When facing difficult times, dry times, frustrating times, we draw from that reservoir. We are able to find joy in the most unusual times and places. Yet we must keep the reservoir full, and that comes from daily fellowship with the one who loves us.

That leads us to Paul’s second command. Pray continually. Always live “practicing the presence of God.” Our daily times set aside for prayer are necessary. They invite his presence into our lives and into the events of our days. But the “Amen” doesn’t have to be the end of the prayer. We can walk through the day with a sense of his presence wherever we go. When a need develops, we find it easy to move back to prayer—our ongoing conversation partner still very much with us. This brings joy and leads us also to thanksgiving.

God’s will is also that you will be thankful in all circumstances. If “all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28), and that is the testimony of scripture, then God is working good even out of the difficult time you are going through now. There is reason to be thankful. Look to see how God will use this circumstance and thank him for that.

Life is not always easy, but the one who walks in the presence of God continually can find joy and be thankful in each and every circumstance. Take time to open your heart to Jesus everyday in prayer. Walk with him. Enjoy his presence. Allow thanksgiving to fuel the sense of his presence and intensify the joy. Don’t allow the circumstances to take your joy!

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Clay in the Hands of the Potter (Oct 11)

Posted on October 11, 2014 by pastorjeffsneighborhood
Quote from Open Up Your Heart by Jeff Syverson

Quote from Open Up Your Heart by Jeff Syverson

October 11
Clay in the Hands of the Potter

Today’s Scripture Readings: Psalms 114:1-8 | Jeremiah 16:16-18:23 | 1 Thessalonians 4:1-5:3 | Proverbs 25:6-7

Today’s Scripture Focus: Jeremiah 16-18

“So I went down to the potter’s house; and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the Lord came to me: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?” (Jeremiah18:3-5 NIV)

In the hands of the master potter, our heavenly Father, we are shaped and formed. We start out as marred vessels–marred by our own sin, beaten up by the sins of others. Then the potter goes to work.

He begins shaping us into a vessel that he can use. In salvation, he recreates us and remakes us. We become “His workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works” (Ephesians 2:10).

The shaping process is hard and long. Trials come to shape us. Our faith is stretched and tested. But in all the stretching, pulling and shaping his one design is to make us into a vessel he can use for His glory.

Little by little we take on the intended shape and are filled to overflowing with the Spirit who energizes us to do that which we are called to do.

Sometimes the clay wishes to cry out to the potter: “Enough, I’m tired of this process of being reshaped and remolded.” But who are we to talk back to the Potter?

His will is best; the work continues. The process may seem painful at times, but the Potter knows what he is doing. Trust Him to bring shape and significance to you. Trust Him to make you into a beautiful vessel that he will delight in using to display His glory.

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Scarecrow in a Melon Patch (Oct 8)

Posted on October 8, 2014 by pastorjeffsneighborhood
Quote from Open Up Your Heart by Jeff Syverson

Quote from Open Up Your Heart by Jeff Syverson

Oct 8
Scarecrows in a Melon Patch

Today’s Scripture Readings: Psalms 111:1-10 | Jeremiah 10:1-11:23 | Colossians 3:18-4:18 | Proverbs 24:28-29

Today’s Scripture Focus: Jeremiah 10:1-11:23

Like a scarecrow in a melon patch, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good.” (Jeremiah 10:5 NIV)

Something within each of us cries out for the eternal. As Pascal wrote, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in each of our hearts.” Yet many of us, instead of worshiping and serving the Creator, worship and serve created things. We, then, exchange the glory of the Almighty God for lesser gods.

I’ve been inside temples on numerous occasions and have watched people bow down to idols made by human hands. It always tears me up inside to see that happen. I often think of the words of Jeremiah, “They cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. Like a scarecrow in a melon patch, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good.”

Like a scarecrow in a melon patch: That’s a great picture, isn’t it? It’s hard to imagine bowing down and worshiping a created thing.

But what tears me up even more is the realization that we, who would not think to bow down to an idol, create “idols of the heart.” We worship and serve many things. Paul shows us that even misplaced values like greed and materialism can become idols. So can entertainment, sports, music or a political cause. The list could include most anything that becomes our preoccupation. Only God can bring security and meaning. He is the only rightful object of worship.

So, whether our false gods are created by hands or by hearts, they are nothing compared to the glory of the one who is “maker of all things.” Don’t exchange his glory for idols (Romans 1). Worship and exalt and magnify the LORD who is the true God, the living God, the eternal King (10:10).

“No one is like you, O LORD, you are great, and your name is mighty in power. Who should not revere you, O King of the nations?” (Jeremiah 10:6-7)

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A New Wardrobe (Oct 7)

Posted on October 8, 2014 by pastorjeffsneighborhood
Quote from Open Up Your Heart by Jeff Syverson

Quote from Open Up Your Heart by Jeff Syverson

October 7
A New Wardrobe

Today’s Scripture Readings: Psalms 110: 1-7 | Jeremiah 8:8 – 9:26 | Colossians 3:1-17 | Proverbs 24:27

Today’s Scripture Focus: Colossians 3:1-17

“Therefore as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself…”( Colossians 3:12 NIV)

Sometimes the old clothes just don’t fit anymore—but I don’t mean that the clothes are too small. Sometimes we need a new wardrobe because we change positions. The young lawyer fresh out of law school usually has a major wardrobe update, for example. He could get by with Jeans and T-shirts in school, but not in the courtroom. The old way of dressing just doesn’t suit him anymore in his new position.

When we become Christians, similarly, we change positions. What may have seemed natural and appropriate before we were Christians is no longer appropriate. Since Christ lives in me, I need to eliminate the clothes that are not in keeping with who he is, and who I am in him.

The clothes I speak of are the behaviors and attitudes described in Colossians 3. Paul uses terms such as “put off” or “rid yourself” in relation to a whole list of sinful behaviors. They range from sexual immorality to “anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language,”

We are hidden with Christ in God, We are dead to sin and have been raised to new life. We are to put on qualities that are in keeping with “who we are” in our new position as God’s “holy, chosen, dearly loved people.”

What shall we put on? What will our new wardrobe look like? “Clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Each one of those attitudes and behaviors sounds a lot like Jesus, doesn’t it? Of course, what else would we expect? Jesus lives in us, and as we let the Word of Christ dwell richly in us, we should expect a new wardrobe—behaviors and attitudes that reflect the life of Christ within us.

Some of us have some clothes in our closets that just don’t fit anymore. It’s time to replace them with some clothes that will more beautifully reflect, on the outside, the life of Jesus, on the inside.

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Let Them See Your Hand (Oct 6)

Posted on October 6, 2014 by pastorjeffsneighborhood
Quote from open up your heart by Jeff Syverson

Quote from open up your heart by Jeff Syverson

October 6
Let Them See Your Hand

Today’s Scripture Readings: Psalm 109:16-31 | Jeremiah 6:15- 8:7 | Colossians 2:8-23 | Proverbs 24:26

Today’s Scripture Focus: Psalms 109:16-31

But you, O Sovereign Lord, deal well with me for your name’s sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me. [22] For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
(Psalm 109:21-22 NIV)

The psalmist finds himself in a difficult place. He describes his situation: “I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.” Beaten up by circumstances and, especially by people—accusers, he calls them— he fasts and prays and desperately seeks the Lord (23-25). But he hasn’t given up hope. He looks to the God of hope.

I was moved by one part of his petition especially. He prays that God will work in such a way that everyone will see that the hand of the Lord has done it: “Let them know it is your hand, that you, O LORD, have done it.”

I like that. It’s a prayer that looks for God to be glorified—for his name and reputation to be magnified. In essence, he prays, “God answer this prayer in such a marvelous way that everyone will know that you have done it. Let there be no doubt that your hand has accomplished this.”

That’s praying with faith. That’s praying with expectation. That’s the kind of praying that gets us through impossible circumstances (not to mention the grace to deal with difficult people).

God, do something so big, so amazing that everyone will know that you did it.

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