PLAN A

February 28

PLAN A

So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.”

Zechariah 4:6

A dominant aspect of human nature is to depend on our own cleverness, resources, and strength. We want to take charge, to get it done. In fact, one of the first short sentences voiced by children is, “I do it myself!” Submission seems a foreign concept, especially for men (maybe that’s why we tend to not ask for directions). So when we find ourselves in trouble or in need, we tend to suck it up, flex our muscles, and work hard, trying plans A to Z. 

Then, finally, in desperation we may turn to God, asking for His guidance and empowerment.

In contrast, God wants us to depend on him, to turn to Him first as our “plan A.” And this only makes sense — he is all-powerful and all-knowing; he loves us; and, if we have trusted Christ as Savior, we have the Holy Spirit living in us. Depending on God means bringing our ideas, dreams, problems, conflicts, and relationships immediately to Him, listening to His Word, and then following His instructions.

Are you worried? In trouble? Struggling? Questioning? Instead of trusting in your own “might” and “power,” submit to the Lord Almighty.

Let the Spirit move you. ♦

PRAYER

Holy Spirit, I want to depend on you …

A STARRING ROLE

February 27

A STARRING ROLE

Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.

Daniel 12:3

Do you want to be a star? Everyone these days seems to be searching for fame and fortune — sending home videos to TV producers, calling radio talk shows, auditioning for bit parts in movies, making the news, pushing to get on camera during live interviews, winning the contest, game, or lottery, and so forth. Perhaps the drive for significance is what motivates otherwise mature adults to act foolishly for fifteen seconds of personal publicity. In reality, even the most famous of celebrities quickly fade from our memories. For example, can you name the winner of the Super Bowl two years ago? The current Miss America? The NBA’s MVP last year? This year’s Oscar-winning “Best Actor”? The Olympian currently reigning as “the world’s best athlete”? The winner of the People’s Choice Award for “Funniest Person in America”? Oh, being recognized, winning awards, and being popular is nice and certainly feels good, but fame is not worth giving one’s life for.

If you really want to be a star, forever, in the eyes of the only one who truly counts, check out this prophecy in Daniel. God’s stars are wise and lead many to righteousness. Think of those with whom you can share the marvelous news of God’s love and forgiveness in Christ. Shine on! ♦

PRAYER

I confess, Lord, that I …

THE SIDES OF FORGIVENESS

February 26

THE SIDES OF FORGIVENESS

“Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

Matthew 18:21-22

Forgiveness is the act of setting someone free from an obligation to you that is a result of a wrong done against you. Several sides are evident in forgiveness.

The practical side of forgiveness means that forgiving someone is simply a deliberate, singular, and volitional decision by which one person chooses to consider another person no longer in debt. It’s like saying, “On February 26, I willfully and deliberately choose to forgive you of the wrong you did to me.”

The theological side of forgiveness means that you place the person’s case in God’s court. You are no longer responsible for the behavior of that person, and you are saying to God, “It’s your business."

The relational side of forgiveness means that you seek reconciliation with the person who has injured you. This does not mean necessarily that you will be best friends with the offensive person or that you will have a relationship with them, but you relinquish repayment for the wrong.

The transformational side of forgiveness means that since God has forgiven us, we are to forgive others.

Forgiveness is difficult because it is costly. The cost may be the pain of expressing our hurt and disappointment without any satisfactory release and restoration from the one who did the offending.

Some Jewish rabbis taught their followers not to forgive beyond three offenses. Peter, no doubt, thought that forgiving seven times equaled going the second mile. Jesus responded to Peter’s inquiry by noting that true forgiveness knows no limits. Go, therefore, and do likewise. ♦

PRAYER

Today I need to forgive …

YOU CAN’T BURY YOUR ANGER

February 25

YOU CAN’T BURY YOUR ANGER

Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.

Proverbs 29:11

Any archaeologist can tell you that nothing buried remains that way. So why do we assume we can bury something as unstable as anger? We let little things agitate us, but instead of confronting them, we bury them. Over time, our anger becomes increasingly dangerous, like an emotional bomb waiting to go off.

Some of the bombs dropped on England in World War II are still killing people. Sometimes they are discovered and blow up at construction sites, in fishing nets, or on beaches. Undetected bombs become more dangerous with time because corrosion can expose the detonator.

What is true of bombs that are not dealt with is also true of people who have unresolved anger. Buried anger explodes when we least expect it. And when anger explodes, it does all sorts of damage. It severs relationships. It causes ulcers. It leads to murder. When anger is turned inward, it leads to depression; when it is turned outward, it leads to aggression. You have to deal with anger, not bury it.

Dealing with anger is like preventing the bombing raids on England from ever happening. You don’t have to worry about buried bombs because there aren’t any. Anger only has as much control over you as you give it. 

Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as counting to ten. You have to reason away your anger by asking yourself, “Why does anger have control over me in this situation?” When you’ve found the answer, you’ve found your bomb prevention.

The more resolute you are in retaining a peaceful spirit, the less power anger will have over you. Remain calm in Christ, and keep anger above ground. ♦

PRAYER

God, give me your peace that I may resolve my anger for …

IS YOUR PASSION HOT?

February 24

IS YOUR PASSION HOT?

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

John 14:12

Passionate people never work for money. This is not to say that they do not earn a great deal of money. But the likes of William Shakespeare, Thomas Edison, Estée Lauder, Walt Disney, Sam Walton, and Bill Gates, who all became wealthy, were inspired not by money but by a drive to fulfill an inner longing to make a difference in this world. Passionate people don’t just get a job. A job is something one does for money. Passion is something one does because he is inspired to do it. And passionate people would do it even if they were paid nothing beyond food and the basics. They would do it because it is their life.

Call it what you want, urge, burden, compulsion, force, passion originates with God. Passion is the birthplace of a dream, the trailhead of a new path God calls us to follow.

Significant passion originates with God and takes root in receptive and obedient hearts. Passionate people have their hearts engaged in their work. Their work moves them like a lover ignites their soul. Passion comes from the heart of God to embrace our hearts, and it compels us to act. Passion without action is just a dream, and action without passion is drudgery, but passion with action is sheer delight.

Passion is not a privilege of the fortunate few; it is the birthright of every human being. You can show the world all you are capable of — all that, deep down, you know you can be. Decide now that you are going to let passion into your life. ♦

PRAYER

Lord, enliven my life with passion that I might 

S YOUR PASSION HOT?

February 24

IS YOUR PASSION HOT?

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

John 14:12

Passionate people never work for money. This is not to say that they do not earn a great deal of money. But the likes of William Shakespeare, Thomas Edison, Estée Lauder, Walt Disney, Sam Walton, and Bill Gates, who all became wealthy, were inspired not by money but by a drive to fulfill an inner longing to make a difference in this world. Passionate people don’t just get a job. A job is something one does for money. Passion is something one does because he is inspired to do it. And passionate people would do it even if they were paid nothing beyond food and the basics. They would do it because it is their life.

Call it what you want, urge, burden, compulsion, force, passion originates with God. Passion is the birthplace of a dream, the trailhead of a new path God calls us to follow.

Significant passion originates with God and takes root in receptive and obedient hearts. Passionate people have their hearts engaged in their work. Their work moves them like a lover ignites their soul. Passion comes from the heart of God to embrace our hearts, and it compels us to act. Passion without action is just a dream, and action without passion is drudgery, but passion with action is sheer delight.

Passion is not a privilege of the fortunate few; it is the birthright of every human being. You can show the world all you are capable of — all that, deep down, you know you can be. Decide now that you are going to let passion into your life. ♦

PRAYER

Lord, enliven my life with passion that I might …

Are You Having Trouble Giving Up Smoking

I'm going to share with you today My Five Day Quit Smoking Program! You don't need patches, Chantix, nicotine gum or any other drug in you system to do this Program. I have been sharing this with people since I did it when I was 38 years old. I am now 71.

This Program was initially started by The Seventh Day Adventists. Through The years, I have adjusted it a bit to make it easier, but my results are about the same as the original program., around 95% success ratio, Heck, I went to the first meeting as sort of a challenge from my employees who might be attending,

We'd heard about it one day on the radio and it piqued our interest! The first meeting was to be held on a Sunday night. As we were leaving work for the weekend, we smokers asked each other if we were going to the meeting.

As usual, we were pretty noncommittal that Friday afternoon, like maybe I'll see you there, but I don't think I'm quite there yet.

Come Sunday night, all eight of us showed up. I think, more out of curiosity than anything. Surprised me, since on the way to the meeting, I bought a new pack of cigarrettes and had one before. I went into the meeting!

That turned out to be my last cigarette!

Anyway, when we got in, there were about 35 people there. We weren't all heavy smokers and a couple didn't come back for the 2nd nights meeting leaving us at 33 for the 5 days.

At the time, I was smoking 2-1/2 to 3 packs a day , but there was one lady there that was smoking 5-6 packs a day.i I thought I was bad.

Anyway, we started the program and all 33 of us finished it! The lady that was smoking 5-6 packs a day was down to 1 pack a day by day 4, and totally off at the end of day 5. Amazing, none of us thought she could do it.

To this day, everyone that hasn't passed on from other maladies is still off of cigarettes.

Part of the program include watching movies and discussion with Dr. Keln, a Gastroenterologist, who, just happened to be my neighbor in Layton. The other part of the program consisted of what I am about to give you. It's a recipe for choosing not to smoke and it's the cheapest and easiest formula I have ever seen. Over the years, I have helped roughly 900- 1100  people choose not to smoke.

It is my prayer that should you want to try this that you stick it out for the whole five days. You will be amazed at how truly easy it is and how much better you'll feel.

So, here goes:

I hope you like Cranberry, Cran-Appl, Cran-Grape, etc. because you need to drink at least 2-32oz Glasses each day.

You need to use natures Vitamin B-12 an B-Complex as directed on th bottle.

Shower in the A.M.

Shower in the P.M.

If you feel the urge to have a cigarrette, stop and take 5 DEEP BREATHS. By this I mean bend at the waist and inhale as much as you can while bringing your body to a standing position. Hold for a couple of seconds and exhale while bending to your waist again. Repeat this process 4 more times. The urge should be gone.

If you absolutely need to have a cigarrette, go ahead and have one, but DONT feel like a failure, choose not to next time and continue with the routine .

Each day you don't smoke, put the money aside that you saved for that day. Continue this beyond the 5 days for at least a month and see how much has been going up in smoke. I don't have money to burn, and I'm sure you don't either.

Now, why Cranberry juice. It so happens that Cranberries are the best thing you can take for cleaning the nicotine from your body, especially your liver, kidneys and blood. The nicotine will be coming out of your pours and urine. This, the shower in the A.M. To wash off what you sweat out at night and shower. In the P.M. To get rid of what you sweat out during the day.

The Vitamin B-12 is natures tranquilizer and helps with the anxiety.

The Vitamin B-Complex aids the B-12 and helps depression.

The 5 DEEP BREATHS quell the urge for a cigarrette. What may seem like minutes, in reality only lasts for about 15 Seconds.

There, one of the cheapest and most effective ways to get off tobacco!

May God Bless you in your quest and help you through the seemingly tough times.

Reverend Joe A Sondrup

This information is on my Blog:

reverendjoesondrupoutreachmimistry.blogspot.com

Feel free to share with your friends and enemies, and have a wonderful Spirit Filled Journey!

STRIVING TO BE YOUR BEST

February 23

STRIVING TO BE YOUR BEST

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:48

This quality of excellence and the desire to be and do one’s best has been implanted into the believer’s soul. Some people immediately give up alcoholic drinks after conversion. One man, after giving his heart to Christ, began immediately improving his handwriting. He remarked, “All things must be done well for Christ, even the little things.” Others have changed attitudes. Still others have cleaned up their foul mouths. Employers have treated their employees with greater dignity and respect. Once God enters a life, the believer shares the ambition to do all things extraordinarily. This desire permeates a believer’s being and changes his actions, thus transforming his character.

We must remember that excellence is not perfection but the pursuit of perfection. And pursuit is what Jesus had in mind when he stated, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). 

Too, excellence is not being the best; it is becoming your best. Excellence is a process of becoming the best man you can be in all areas of life. This process involves intense and continual effort, prompting a lifetime challenge that is all-consuming. ♦

PRAYER

Lord, make me perfect — for you …

THE WEIGHT OF HONESTY

February 22

THE WEIGHT OF HONESTY

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.

Ephesians 4:25

Run to my arms; glad am I, George, that you killed my tree; for you have paid me for it a thousand fold. Such an act of heroism in my son is more worth than a thousand trees, though blossomed with silver, and their fruits of purest gold.*

So goes the account according to Parson Weems of the reaction of George Washington’s father on hearing from his son the truth that he did kill the cherry tree with his hatchet. Although the story is well-known, its validity is highly questionable. Yet we would all like to believe that the first president of the United States of America was an honest and truthful man.

Honesty is one of those virtues that is highly esteemed by many but just doesn’t seem to work in the day-to-day practices of life. We tend to hold on to it for as long as it is light enough to carry and then drop it as soon as its weight becomes too heavy to bear.

One of the marks of Christ’s followers, however, ought to be their honesty, which means both the presence of truth and the absence of deception. It means that others see us for who we really are. It means living our lives in the light, out in the open. How difficult this is for us guys! May God help us to walk today beneath the weight of honesty. ♦

PRAYER

Reveal to me, Spirit, anything false in my life …

*This quote can be found at http://xroads.virginia.edu/

WILL WE OPEN THE GIFT?

February 21

WILL WE OPEN THE GIFT?

Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them.

Jonah 2:8

One of the many tragedies of life is that God’s grace — his free gift of unmerited favor and love — is too often left as an unopened package. And if Jonah had chosen not to receive God’s free gift of grace, he would have forfeited his hope of salvation, his chance for reinstatement, and his opportunity to become reusable and reclaimed for God’s work.

The conclusion of the movie The Fugitive has uncanny parallels with Jonah’s life. As Dr. Kimball continues to run from the police and the federal marshal, he learns the identity of his wife’s real killer. In the end, Dr. Kimball eludes each of his potential killers, only to be arrested by the federal marshal.

However, after Dr. Kimball slides into the backseat of the federal marshal’s car, the marshal takes off Dr. Kimball’s handcuffs and hands him an ice pack. Since at the outset of the chase the marshal had said that he didn’t care if Kimball were innocent or guilty, Dr. Kimball says to the marshal, “I thought you didn’t care.”

The marshal replies with a chuckle, “I don’t. Don’t tell anybody, OK?”

In Jonah’s story, it appears that God didn’t care. With the storm threatening Jonah and the large fish swallowing him, it even appears that God was trying to kill Jonah. But he was not. God cared (and, unlike the federal marshal in The Fugitive, he wanted all to know it). He was trying to save Jonah. He wanted him to live not as a fugitive but as a free man.

When we stop our running and accept the grace that God offers, we also will live in freedom and fulfillment. ♦

PRAYER

I don’t want to run anymore. I want to live in the freedom of your grace …

Psalm 1

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Job 42

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Psalms 2

 

BOOK ONE (Psalms 1–41)

1Oh, the joys of those who do not

follow the advice of the wicked,

or stand around with sinners,

or join in with mockers.

2But they delight in the law of the lord,

meditating on it day and night.

3They are like trees planted along the riverbank,

bearing fruit each season.

Their leaves never wither,

and they prosper in all they do.

4But not the wicked!

They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.

5They will be condemned at the time of judgment.

Sinners will have no place among the godly.

6For the lord watches over the path of the godly,

but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

OUR SEARCH FOR JESUS CAN’T WAIT

February 20

OUR SEARCH FOR JESUS CAN’T WAIT

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13

If we don’t find God, we have missed the very reason for our existence. Compared to knowing the One who made us, everything else is just crumbs.

Deep down inside, all people have this hunger. God’s handprint is on us. His very breath spoke the world into existence. He set eternity in our hearts. We, therefore, are incurably spiritual by nature. That’s why every human society — no matter how primitive — has some concept of a higher power, some vision of a reality that goes beyond the natural. On one level, this explains why science has not eradicated religion from the earth. Technological achievement cannot meet the deepest needs of the human heart. That’s why millions of people read their horoscopes every morning, and millions more call psychic hotlines.

People are hungry for spiritual truth and if they cannot find it by normal means, they will reach for anyone or anything claiming to give them an answer. Something inside us drives us to seek ultimate meaning outside ourselves. God puts that something inside us. Augustine passed on this oft-quoted prayer: “You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” All of us are on a search for the Savior. We desperately want to find him.

The search for God can’t wait. The longer you wait, the more clouded the mirror will get. Seeing the whole picture merely requires the clarity that discovering God can bring. Searching for God is good; finding him is much better. ♦

PRAYER

Thank you for letting me find you, dearest Lord …

THE GLUE OF GRACE

THE GLUE OF GRACE

To each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.

Ephesians 4:7 

God often breaks us in order to remake us. For almost anything good to be made, it first must be broken. A tree is broken, and a house is built. Soil is broken, and a crop is grown. Grain is broken, and bread is baked. People are broken, and caring and compassionate believers are reborn. Often it is out of our brokenness that our greatest influence comes. Often before God uses a man or woman greatly, he first breaks them severely.

A church ordered new stained-glass windows for its sanctuary. All the windows arrived except for the largest panel at the front of the church. The congregation anxiously waited for this panel’s delivery. When the large piece arrived, they found the glass had been broken in transit. The people were dismayed. But then a skilled artist in the church asked if he could take the pieces and try to make a suitable replacement window. In a short while, the artist unveiled the window he had fashioned. The entire congregation felt that the artist’s masterpiece was more beautiful than the original. What was broken was remade into something spectacular.

God’s grace sometimes comes in ways we would never expect.

Grace is the glue that takes the pieces of our broken lives and binds them into something new and beautiful. It is the welcome mat that declares to the repentant prodigal, “Welcome home.” It is the sponge that cleans the blotched record of our sins so they are remembered no more. Grace is the announcement that there is life after failure and hope for broken, rebellious people. ♦

PRAYER

Thank you for giving your grace to me …

SOW SOW

SOW SOW

Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.

Hosea 10:12

Trying to nurture a beautiful lawn can be a frustrating experience. Certain patches of the yard seem to resist all growth — except weeds, of course. And too often we discover clover, crabgrass, dandelions, and other weeds encroaching at an alarming rate.

In any agricultural endeavor — working on a farm, planting a garden, or just caring for a lawn — we know the importance of fertile, receptive earth. The plants we hope to sprout and grow are directly affected by the seeds we choose and quality of the soil. Grass won’t come from dandelion or crabgrass seeds. Tulips in the spring come from tulip bulbs planted in the fall. We expect tomatoes from tomato seeds, not cucumbers. And no seeds, even those of highest quality, will germinate, take root, and flourish in rock-hard, weed-infested soil.

In this passage, the prophet Hosea reminds Israel of this great truth and uses it as a spiritual metaphor. Those who plant seeds of righteousness will reap a crop of God’s love, if their hearts are open and ready.

Do you want to experience God’s love? Plow the hard ground of your heart by confessing your sins and accepting God’s forgiveness. Then sow seeds of righteousness by seeking God and resolving to live for him, and then reap God’s bountiful harvest. ♦

PRAYER

I want your harvest, Lord …

WALK RIGHT IN

WALK RIGHT IN

We do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Hebrews 4:15-16

Jesus knows us, and he knows what we face — the limitations of being human; the stresses, strains, and sorrows of daily life; the temptations; the pain. Leaving the glories of heaven, Jesus stooped to become one of us. Although he was fully God, he became fully man. Then, limited to a physical body in time and space, he struggled, suffered, and was tempted. He knows what it means to be human.

This doesn’t mean Jesus overlooks our disobedience, excuses, and mistakes. We still need to turn away from sin and turn toward him. But it does mean he feels our pain and understands what we are experiencing.

Now Jesus sits at the Father’s right hand as our Savior, friend, brother, and mediator.

Because of who Jesus is, what he has done for us, and where he is, we can come boldly into the throne room through prayer, confessing our sin, admitting our needs, and asking for help. This is like a small boy walking into his father’s office. Dad drops everything to focus on his son.

As a result of Jesus’ life and death, you can talk to God at any time, confident that your loving high priest will listen and will give you mercy and grace. Talk to the one who understands you fully.

Jesus knows what you’re going through. ♦

PRAYER

You know me perfectly, Lord …

JOY — AN INSIDE JOB

JOY — AN INSIDE JOB

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Philippians 4:4

Dr. Victor Frankl, author of Man’s Search for Meaning, was imprisoned by the Nazis in World War II because he was a Jew. His wife, children, and parents were all killed in the holocaust. The gestapo stripped him of his clothes. He stood totally naked before them, but inside he was filled with God’s joy. As they cut off his wedding band, Viktor said to himself, “You can take away my wife, you can take away my children, you can strip me of my clothes and my freedom, but there is one thing no person can ever take away from me — and that is my freedom to choose how I will react to what happens to me!” Even under the most difficult of circumstances, joy is a choice that transforms our tragedies into triumph.

Let’s face it. Not everything goes our way. Things don’t always work out as we planned. Some days are disasters. Other days are worse than that.

Happiness comes easily when everything goes our way. Joy is different. It’s deeper. Joy is an attitude we select. Happiness is external. Joy is an inside job where we opt to rejoice, regardless of the circumstances.

Don’t confuse happiness with joy. Happiness is a buoyant emotion that results from the momentary plateaus of well-being. Joy is bedrock stuff. Joy is a confidence that operates, irrespective of our moods. Joy is the certainty that all is well, however we feel.

Joy is a divine dimension of living that is not shackled by circumstances simply because we have chosen to respond in a positive manner. Circumstances seldom generate lasting smiles and laughter. Joy comes to those who determine to choose it in spite of their circumstances. ♦

PRAYER

Lord, fill my heart with your joy that I may better serve you when …