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The Journey 2020

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

 

 

Your  practical, inspirational resource for your spiritual walk

 

2020 is the year to ponder his faithfulness.  Through the puzzle of life, the Christian experience  is the greatest faith journey of all. It’s not always easy or fun, but as believers we know that God will help us through the detours and  potholes in the roadway. If you’re feeling weary in your journey, rest assured; nothing whatever, whether great or small, can happen to a believer, without God’s ordering and permission. There is no such thing as “chance,” “luck” or “accident” in the Christian’s journey through this world. All is arranged and appointed by God. And all things are “working together” for the believer’s good. Christ-likeness is your eventual destination, but your journey is where your faith is perfected.

My prayer for you, like Paul’s, is that you gain a spirit of wisdom and revelation:

I have not stopped giving thanks to God for you. I always remember you in my prayers, asking the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, to give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you will know him better. I pray also that you will have a greater understanding in your heart so you will know the hope to which he has called us and that you will know how rich and glorious are the blessings God has promised his holy people.

Ephesians 1:15-18

 

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I Wonder What Jesus Would Want For Christmas

 

Dr. I. David Byrd, December 15, 2019

 

“Behold, a virgin shall be with child,
and shall bring forth a son,
and they shall call his name Emmanuel,
which being interpreted is, God with us.”
Matthew 1;23

 

Gift giving is an expression of truly seeing the other person and knowing what they want. Sometimes we look to the past for hints of what a person is interested in and the things that define who they are. So, what we give to He who God sent forth, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, requires reflective thought and consideration. Emmanuel, “God with us”. I searched the scriptures to find hints of the perfect gift and here’s what the Word says:

 

  • Jesus wants you to make Him first, ahead of your finances, personal interests, relationships and schedule – even your troubles. This starts by giving Him your heart. The Bible tells us, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Luke 12:34).
  • Jesus wants our belief in Him to be more than an intellectual agreement. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not yet seen.” (Hebrew 11:1)
  • Jesus wants us to know God’s love, “I have made you known to them and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” (John 17:26)
  • Jesus wants us to behold His glory as proof of His eternal oneness with God. “Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me, may be with me where I am.” (John 17:24)
  • Jesus wants everyone to know it’s not about a gavel in his hand, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:17)
These hints tell me what Jesus wants most is for you to have a personal relationship with Him, forgiveness for your sins and a place in heaven forever. Jesus wants us to be saved so much that he stepped down from the heights of divinity to a cradle in humanity and then ultimately to a cross on Calvary. A relationship with Jesus changes everything! He has set before us an open door. Boldly walk through it, He will be with us – Emmanuel.

 

Father,
In this Christmas season we thank you for the wonders of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. We pause to celebrate your gift to the world. Joy to the world, the Lord has come. Let earth receive her king.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

 

Thank you for allowing me to speak into your life. Hey, spend a few moments of quiet time discovering your personal application of what you just read by clicking this link  myTime with God
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Can We Just Talk?

 

Dr. I. David Byrd, December 1, 2019
“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt,
so that you may know how to answer everyone.”                 Col 4:6
Civility dies when you give up the right to have dialogue without trying to destroy the other person. The starting point for repairing our fractured country is how we interact with others.

 

First, our conversation should be an instrument of grace even to those who we don’t think deserve it. Paul uses the word “grace”, which most often refers to unmerited favor for those who are ill-deserving. Paul anticipating our sinful nature qualified this phrase with “always”.

 

Second, our conversations should be seasoned with “salt ”. Salt makes meat acceptable to the discerning palate and is a preservative that draws out bad organisms that can cause meat to decay. Once salt loses its chemical properties it is of no value. If the “flavor” of our conversation is saltless we are useless to God, of no value in bringing out people’s best tendencies and preventing their worse.

 

  • Deliberately seek to influence the people in your life by showing them the unconditional love of Christ through good deeds (Matthew 5:13)
  • Demonstrate the counterculture to language that demeans, degrades, divides and leads to societal moral decay. (Mark 9:50)
  • Witness to unbelievers being well prepared and focused on building others up according to their individual needs with purity of motive. (Col 4:6)

 

What a privilege God has given us to be in dialogue with others. Use it for God’s glory. It’s the evidence of the call upon our lives.

 

Father,
Your Word tells us we are to be a people set upon a hill; bringing light to the darkness of this world. Help us to live out the grace you provided to us. To not withhold conversation from anyone You put in our path.

 

In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

 

Thank you for allowing me to speak into your life. Hey, spend a few moments of quiet time discovering your personal application of what you just read by clicking this link  myTime with God
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Beware of Strangers

Dr. I. David Byrd, November 15, 2019

 

“Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers
for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.”
Hebrews 13:1

 

Reflect on the ways in which you demonstrate love for others, even those that are different than you. Scripture calls us to love strangers and to bring them into our family. To receive and embrace those who do not share our faith and our values. The greatest way to get to know someone and evidence the love of Christ is to demonstrate biblical hospitality. The Greek word for hospitality is philoxenia, which means “lover of strangers”.

 

A relationship with Jesus is the sole source of hope for the world and God longs to use us to love the strangers around us so that they might enter into relationship with Him. Apart from God, our natural propensity is to avoid interacting with anyone we don’t know. But that is not the life our heavenly Father calls us to live. We are not called to keep this free gift of salvation for ourselves, but to share it with those strangers God is beckoning to himself.

 

It’s been said that food can unite, strengthen community bonds and help maintain a common identity among a group of people. Food will be the center of attention at most upcoming holiday celebrations or parties. The dinner table is a time to pause and relish in the ritual of passing food and sharing stories. Demonstrate Biblical hospitality by inviting someone who does not look, think or act like you to your holiday dinner table. It’s not just about opening your home, it’s about opening your heart.

 

Father,
Thank you for loving and pursuing me. Place a name, or even a few names on my heart that I might invite to the dinner table in order to hear their story and tell them your story. 
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

 

Thank you for allowing me to speak into your life. Hey, spend a few moments of quiet time discovering your personal application of what you just read by clicking this link  myTime with God
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Being Public With Our Faith

Dr. I David Byrd, November 1, 2019

 

“For you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light.”                                                                                                  Ephesians 5:8 NRSV

 

Jesus provides the church the behavior necessary for being public about our faith. It starts with simply valuing people. If I value you, I will take time to get to know you. I will be concerned with the things that concern you. When we demonstrate the attributes of love, it causes us to take time to get into the other persons story. John Lederach expressed, “Jesus’ ministry has roots in grace expressed primarily through the quality of presence: the way he chose to be present, in relationship and in the company of others.”

 

Throughout the Bible Jesus first built relationships by compassionately accompanying people, helping them clarify their faith or find faith through their circumstances. Secondly, Jesus viewed people in ways that valuedthemand could not see their situations without being moved, feeling compassion, and acting. Third, Jesus honored diverse culturesto ensure the gospel would reach everyone. Jesus understood that it is hard to be in relationship with people we may view as different when we don’t see, understand or acknowledge their value.

 

The Syrophoenician woman, in Mark 7:24 -31, came to make a request of Jesus. She was culturally a Gentile, geographically a Canaanite and was assumed to be at the margin of the Jewish faith community. She was someone with whom Jesus and the disciples would not normally associate. The disciples allowed their worldviews to cloud their perception and calling. They labeled her as unfit, a foreigner, and an alien with no right to speak to Jesus. In Matthew 15:23, “They requested Jesus send her away.”Jesus used the opportunity to teach the lesson to the disciples that everyone would be included in the plan of salvation. We can be guilty of sometimes initially missing or ignoring those outside our comfort zone who may need our support. As children of light, we are called to ask the clarifying questions that can help us better understand the challenges others face in their life for the sake of their faith.

 

Just as God’s incarnate presence in Jesus Christ is a model for us, we are called to exhibit a coherent Christian perspective and response that is relational in nature. Twentieth century Catholic theologian Karl Reiner believed “the neighbor is given us precisely as the principal way in which God intends us to find our greatest fulfillment … whereby we are led by the Spirit to encounter God most intimately in the communion with one another that the Spirit of Jesus’ presence in another has made possible.”

 

Father in Heaven,

Help us to see people as you see them. To love them as you love them. Forgive us for sometimes thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought. Change our hearts so that we have the love that will fuel our bold yet humble witness to your grace found in Jesus.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

 

Thank you for allowing me to speak into your life. Hey, spend a few moments of quiet time discovering your personal application of what you just read by clicking this link  myTime with God

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Stay In Peace, Not In Pieces

Dr. I. David Byrd October 15, 2019

 

Because of Peter’s decision to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and bring the Gospel to the Gentiles, all of humankind has the opportunity to live in relationship with our Lord and Savior. Our common identity in Christ can lead to the healing of our divided and sinful nation. “He made no distinction between us and them, for He purified their hearts by faith” (Acts 15:9).

 

In The Book of Acts, F. Bruce provides a poignant summary for believer to contemplate:
“Like the early church, If believers today do their part to reach out to all who are lost, church congregations will eventually be compromised of people from different racial and cultural backgrounds. When this happens, we most often see our propensity to label and categorize. We are most comfortable with those who are just like us. Clearly, at the root of these tendencies is the ugly sin of prejudice. The more we understand the gospel and embrace God’s version of the body of Christ, the more we begin to transcend these differences. More than merely getting along, we will be able to honestly and authentically say from our hearts that we love each other.”

 

Are you in a mindset to be used to accomplish God’s purpose in someone whose experiences differ from your own?

 

Father God,

 

Throughout your Word you declare, define and demonstrate love. I admit it’s hard to sometimes love people I feel are different or don’t deserve my love. However, I can’t truly love you if I can’t love those you love. So today, I repent and ask you to renew my heart and mind so I may witness to the world through my actions as well as my words.

 

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

 

Thank you for allowing me to speak into your life. Hey, spend a few moments of quiet time discovering your personal application of what you just read by clicking this link  myTime with God

 

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Faith On Trial

 

Dr. I. David Byrd October 1, 2019

 

Our study picks us with Peter having seen the possibility of the presence of God in a culture not his own. He was willing to set aside his communities presuppositions, prejudices and pride to live out his calling. The Jews wanted the Gentiles to acculturate into their way of life before they would accept them and they believed this was necessary before they could be saved (Acts 11:2). The Jews prioritized certain beliefs in the Law of Moses and felt they could judge and legislate who was saved by application of those selected laws. Peter must give an account for his actions!

 

In Acts 15, the Jews met at the Council of Jerusalem to discuss this question of those they considered different, the “other”. The Jews were determined to show Peter the law was on their side and he was wrong for focusing on “those other” people, especially Gentiles. Scripture says they “argued forcefully”. My study revealed this meant they had serious theological differences, debate, discord and disunion. Sounds similar to the infighting of the Church today?

 

Nevertheless, Peter put the law in its proper perspective. The law identifies all our sins and points us to Christ (Gal 3:19 – 29). Peter knew we are saved only by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not forceful application of laws upon individuals. Peter also knew that Jesus had given two commandments to clarify the Law of Moses and guide the interpretation of it in our actions. In Matthew 22: 37 – 39 Jesus commanded us,

 

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul, and with all your mind. 
This is the greatest and first commandment.
And a second is like it:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

 

If you love everyone as you love yourself; your beliefs about them, how you label them and how you treat them will always be guided by Godly intentions.

 

Today we continue to question who is “us” and who is “them”. Like the Jews in Acts, we still use the Word of God to divide and define people by lifting up certain commandments to support theology based on secular criteria. Remember, Peter faced men who believed in the Resurrection of Jesus (i.e. they were saved) but felt the commandments they determined to be most relevant were the ones that mattered most. But Peter depended on scripture to settle the controversy not what would benefit him most. Avoid unfruitful arguments; focus on loving people. Remember, we can’t save anyone. Salvation is only by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

 

In our next session I will bring home the message of our series, Walking the Talk. We will look at the impact of our witness when people are watching our actions more than they are listening to our words.

 

Father God,

 

We are surrounded by a fragmented culture, focused more on separation than salvation, we need you. Help create in us a clean heart and don’t allow us to focus on the “Great Commission” at the expense of your “Great Commandments”. We desire to live on the right side of your Word so that our lives more than our words will be the witness to those that need to know You.

 

In Jesus name we pray, Amen. 

 

 

Thank you for allowing me to speak into your life. Hey, spend a few moments of quiet time discovering your personal application of what you just read by clicking this link  myTime with God

 

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We Were Not Saved To Be Silent

Dr. I. David Byrd September 15, 2019

 

“There is longer no Jew or Gentile . . .
you are all Christians . . .
one in Christ Jesus.”
Galatians 3:28

 

Peter obeyed the Lord and went to Caesarea to tell Cornelius and those gathered with him the Good News of Jesus Christ. Peter’s words revealed a new understanding as his humility through Christ allowed him to serve others.

 

Peter’s witnessing paralleled that of the Gospel of Mark. (Acts 10:37-41)

 

The Book of Mark recounted Jesus’ perfect life from His baptism, to His ministry, to the miracles performed in Galilee and throughout Judea. His death on the cross, burial and in His resurrection scripture was fulfilled. Through His death, all sin is forgiven. Everyone sins and everyone needs to be saved. You can only be saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Moreover, faith is available to everyone, not only for the Jews.

 

Upon hearing the Word of God through Peter, the Holy Spirit fell on Cornelius and all who heard the message. They were all baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. God speaks to people not only through their circumstances but also through the words of others. That’s why the message of August’s Journey, Do You Understand What You Are Reading, is so important. You can shine but if you don’t give them content, people won’t know what to do.

 

The key takeaway of Chapter 10 is not so much the conversion of Cornelius as the conversion of Peter. Peter was willing to remove barriers and set aside previous presuppositions, prejudices and pride. Peter entered the house of a Gentile, something that Jewish customs and traditions strictly prohibited. By entering a Gentile’s home, Peter showed that his heart and mind had changed. He was committed to the lifestyle Jesus commanded. While scripture tells us we are not to become like our neighbors; it also says God wanted His people to become a light to our neighbors who don’t know the true God.

 

We’ll pick up the story in Acts Chapter 15 next time. Where we will examine how Peter responded when challenged by his community for loving someone outside of his culture and community. Many of us want to be bold for Jesus, but sometimes we lack the courage to go against our communities’ presuppositions, prejudices and pride for fear of how we will be viewed or treated.

 

Father God,
Give us the boldness of Peter to be a living witness to all who don’t know you. Help us to be the leaders of culture rather than to be followers of culture. You didn’t save us to be silent. You called us to be a beacon of light to the world. So, strengthen our witness through our thoughts, lifestyle and most importantly our actions.

 

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

 

Thank you for allowing me to speak into your life. Hey, spend a few moments of quiet time discovering your personal application of what you just read by clicking this link  myTime with God

 

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The Call To Courage

Dr. I. David Byrd September 1, 2019

 

“My children, we should love people not only with words and talk,
but by our actions and true caring.”
1 John 3:18 (NCV)

 

The Church is meant to be the expression of God’s love witnessed through our demonstration of purity in thought, actions, and lifestyle. We cloud our witness when people see us live in ways that are antithetical to the gospel we proclaim. If we are to be effective witnesses for the kingdom, we must live out God’s design for the unity of the Church. Our witness will determine how the word sees Jesus.

 

Peter’s story can assist us in capturing Scripture’s vision of the church as a community that transcends barriers. In the book of Acts, the kingdom was initially made up of Jews who were believers in Jesus. When the first Gentiles came to faith in Chapter 10, led by Cornelius, it created quite a stir amongst the Jews. Fellow Theologians note, Jews were skeptical because they thought faith was a “God given right”, only for them. The prevailing Jewish thought was that God showed partiality towards the Jews and against the Gentiles. In essence, many thought that God loved the Jews and hated the Gentiles.

 

Cultural beliefs were so divisive that a basic part of the Jewish religion in the days of the New Testament was an oath that promised that one would never help a Gentile under any circumstance. Jewish daily prayers begin by thanking God that they were not a Gentile. If a Jew married a Gentile, the Jewish community would have a funeral and consider that Jew dead. Gentiles were seen as “unclean”. It was thought that even entering the house of a Gentile made a Jew unclean before God. Now that’s some serious hate! Perhaps out of comfort, fear or blindness; some Christians today have capitulated to similar ways of thinking.

 

Cornelius was a good person, yet he still needed someone to explain the gospel to him. He needed to understand that the only way to salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ. Not through good deeds, being a good person or even because he prayed to God. God sent Peter to share the Good News with Cornelius, but first God prepared Peter for service. God revealed to him, in multiple dreams, the need to reach those believed to be ”unclean”. The cleansing of impure foods in his dream was related to the cleansing of the Gentiles. Peter came to understand that he should never think of anyone as impure because the foundation for unity of the Church was in traditional distinctions being dissolved. Ethnicity was no longer of any consequence. Peter answered the call to see the presence of God in a culture not his own.

 

In our next addition of The Journey, we will unpack Peter’s decision and learn the affect it had on the lives of others.

 

Father God,
At times I am faced with making a choice that might not be the most popular. Help me to be on the right side of your Word; even if it means going against the crowd. I realize I my actions can have a life transforming affect on others, so help me to represent you well.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

 

Thank you for allowing me to speak into your life. Hey, spend a few moments of quiet time discovering your personal application of what you just read by clicking this link  myTime with God

 

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Do You Understand What You’re Reading?

Dr. I. David Byrd, August 15, 2019

“God will not give us the Holy Spirit to enable us to gain celebrity or to procure a name or to live an easy, self-controlled life. The Spirit’s passion is the glory of the Lord Jesus, and can make His abode [only] with those who are willing to be at one with Him in this”.
F.B. Meyer

 

Reading the Word is not only beneficial to our walk; it can benefit others. As the number of readers of The Journey increases, so do the types of follow-up questions. I am realizing some have limited context for what we are talking about. I now am more conscious of the importance of you and I taking time to teach those around us. People are expecting us to use our platforms to make the Word plain to them; not to tell them how great we are or creating thirst traps as a way of gaining attention or validation. Our goal should be to reflect Him through us. Charles Koller explains it, “Not as a pipe through which the truth flows out to others, but as a living embodiment of the truth to which we seek to win others”. Witnessing does not depend on flashy rhetoric or heart wrenching stories. The spirit does the convicting and convincing. We are merely the tool. So, “study to show ourselves approved”.

 

When we don’t take the time to teach the Bible to others we dilute the complexity, historicity, and beauty of its story, and the readers can miss significant facets of the Good News about Jesus. I’m reminded of the story of Philip joining the Ethiopian high official in Acts 8 as a perfect example for us to model:

 

27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch,
a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, 
who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 
28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 
29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 
30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked,
“Do you understand what you are reading?” 
31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?”
And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

 

Philip didn’t wait for him to come to church. Philip joined the Ethiopian where he was. The Ethiopian official needed someone to relationally unfold Isaiah 53:7-8 to him in a way that made sense.

 

So here are the two challenges this passage confronts us with. First, we must be willing to step into some elses “chariot” and sit alongside people who can’t make sense of life, much less the Bible. Second, we must study God’s Word diligently and learn from good teachers about His whole counsel, so that when we do have opportunities with those seeking to understand, we can engage them with the whole story instead of leaving them with a presentation. We can only teach others what we’ve learned ourselves; so consider studying a book or two of the Bible.

 

You never know who God may put in your path to share the Good News. When your opportunity comes, just like Philip, be prepared.

 

Father God,
Prepare us to share your Word with others. Unless we study, we won’t be ready. It’s not always easy to dedicate time to studying; and yes I know this is an excuse. Help me to do better. I want and need to represent you well.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen. 

 

Thank you for allowing me to speak into your life. Hey, spend a few moments of quiet time discovering your personal application of what you just read by clicking this link  myTime with God